Strange Shores: An Aragonese AAR

[Lord E]

Seems like your monarchs are getting better and better and they also start to live longer, that is very good news as they can be used for more and better work. Seems like Aragon is really becoming the leading nation in Asia, continue pressing forward and grab even more land

[crusaderknight]

Yes, we must hope that Joan does something about Rajputna and Venice. Time is running out.

[stnylan]

You appear to have entered into a Golden Age...

[Nikolai]

Yeah, this is sooo going your way. Good work!

[VILenin]

Just read thru this and it's great stuff RossN. You've amassed quite an Empire spanning the globe.

[RossN]

Joan V, King of Aragon, Portugal, Sicily and India

19) Joan V (1758-1768)

Joan ascended the throne with an unprecedented blow to his prestige; the Electors had chosen Fernando VII of Castile as Emperor. Joan became the first Aragonese monarch since Octavius I to lose a straight election.

While it was true that Sanç IV and Enric III had both had to wait several years before their elections it was due to their youth which had prevented them standing at the time. Joan was an adult, an accomplished soldier and statesman. His rejection sent shockwaves through Aragon.

Many blamed Ferran VI; his embrace of the Enlightenment for alienating the courts of Europe. In fact, while this likely played a part the more immediate cause may have been envy of the expanding Aragonese Empire in the East. The high handed Plantagenets had rarely hesitated to trumpet their achievments to the rest of the world. Now they paid the price. As the King admitted in a letter to his brother Carles, the Duke of Liguria:

"We have turned our back on Europe... and now they have turned their back on us."
- Joan V, 1758

These were prophetic words.

The Lombards

Northern Italian culture and art had long exercised a grip on Aragon, even if the Golden Age of Aragonese Italy had been back in the 16th century. Yet increasingly in the past century or so the Lombards had been marginalised, with Barcelona becoming more interested in Lima and Bombay than Genoa and Pisa. With their prominence usurped by the Portuguese, and trade increasingly based on the Americas, Africa and Asia at the expense of the Mediterranean the Lombard cities had suffered something of a decline.

The Absolutism created by Ferran V (and reformed by Ferran VI) had been a blow the Lombard nobles had never recovered from. Without political power they could only watch there influence wane. With the loss of the Imperial Dignity, even that importance left them, and Aragonese Italy was reduced to a wealthy backwater.

Joan himself, while expressly maintaining a fondness for Italy, never visited the country (almost unprecedented amongst Aragnese monarchs). It is possible he secretly harboured a grudge against the Italians. It was after all their status as part of the Empire that had made the post of Emperor available to the Aragonese kings. Now they served as an unhappy reminder of that loss.

South-East Asa, 1768

Asia

To compensate for his disappointments at home the King looked for expansion abroad. On 7 November 1761 Aragon once again went to war with Khmer.

This time, despite a handul of minor setbacks, Khmer was millitarily defeated by 1763. Unfortunatly, despite the overwhelming Aragonese victory they refused Joan's terms. Negotiations dragged on until 2 August 1764, when Aragon settled for a lesser deal: Perak, Pahang, Kelantan, Ligore, Tenasserim and Ratchaburi.

Though not quite what was hoped for the peace did secure the entire coastline of the Bay of Bengal for Aragon, thus fufilling one long sought goal. It also ended Khmer as a real threat, allowing the Aragonese to focus on their true enemy: Rajputna.

Thoughts of revenge had been there since the days of Alfons VIII, but it was not until 2 September 1768 that the war began. Joan was determined to finish for good this recurrent foe.

Sadly, he would not live to see the conclusion of the war.

Death

1768 saw not only the continuing war in Asia, but the first settlements founded in Fiji and Hawaii, news of which fittingly arrived in time for Joan's 10th anniversay celebrations.

Not long after this the King began to make frequent complaints of stomach pains and general weakness; by October his condtion was deteriorating rapidly and despite the best efforts of his doctors he died on 1 November 1768.

Joan's sole legitimate child (a daughter) had died in 1767 so the throne passed to his thirty-year old brother Carles, the Duke of Liguria.

Carles was a respected soldier, but it remained to be seen if he would equal his brother in other areas.

The New King

[RossN]

J. Passepartout: Only 10 years.

Burke: Ok I guess - South America is mostly Aragonese with a Spanish and British presence. The three Great Powers of Europe are (Protestant) France and Austria and (Catholic) Burgundy. I'll try a post screenies soon.

Kurt_Steiner: Heh, indeed. Just have to prune a few weeds.

Lord E: Yep! Though not so long lived this time.

crusaderknight: Venice has been conquered (by Austria).I am dealing with Rajputna.

stnylan: Yes - though losing the Holy Roman Empire was a blow.

Nikolai: Thanks.

VILenin: Thank you.

[crusaderknight]

Sad that Joan did not last long. However, your expansion into Khmer is a good thing. I'm also glad to hear that the Venetians have been destroyed (though sadly not by you). Let us hope that Carles can get revenge on Rajputna!

[Patrick O'Harte]

I want Napoli!!!

[Kurt_Steiner]

The lemmings curse is back again...

And we lost the Imperial crown... to a Castillian?!?!?!?!

That stain needs to be washed with blood!!!!!

[J. Passepartout]

10 years! ****

Protestant France and Austria! Interesting!

[FlorisDeVijfde]

Well done. The Indonesian Archippel is yours. What are your plans for the last decade?

[Lord E]

Bloody Castile stealing your imperial throne, I hope the new king will be able to alter this and take back the throne. But abroad things are going superb, the empire is growing more and more, but it is important not to forget Europe in all this. Perhaps the next king can turn his attention back home a little more…

[stnylan]

I must admit, I do feel a little at a loss, a bit like Aragon itself I would wager. So spread out, so many fingers in so many pies - there seems to be no centre

[RossN]

Carles I, King of Aragon, Portugal, Sicily and India

20) Carles I (1768-1809)

Carles I of Aragon was no Enlightenment philosopher; which was not to say he was unintelligent or uneducated. Far from it; the King was one of the craftiest political and military minds in Europe and could speak six languages fluently. He simply lacked the patience of his father or brother, or perhaps more fairly did not see a love of knowledge for knowledge sake to be necessary in a successful monarchy. As he told the Papal legate:

"Great men and great nations stay great by sharp swords - not sharp quills."
- Carles I, 1770

Carles may have regretted the loss of the Holy Roman Empire, but he was also clear sighted enough to suppose that the day of that venerable institution had passed. Rather than waste resources on a possibly futile attempt to regain the institution he chose to look overseas for the Aragonese future.

New borders, December 1770

Unfinished Business

The war with Rajputna continued apace, but even before it ended (16 December 1770) Aragonese eyes had turned elsewhere, to a new threat. And what a threat it was!

The unfortunate state of Khmer had ended up attracting the attention of the Ming Emperor. The Ming had swiftly overrun Khmer, leaving the once important kingdom with a fraction of its former territory - its capital province. When peace was concluded with Rajputna the Aragonese now found themselves with a far more formidable power on their new borders.

After the war against Rajputna ended reconstruction fell to the Viceroy of India (who assumed control of Burma and Siam - the East Indies Company controled the land taken from Champa and Khmer in the East). Along with the usual missionary work he set about raising an army of Sepoys for the coming war. There was no question of there not being a war: how could India rest secure with the limitless numbers of China beside her?

Khmer was put out of its misery in 1777, annexed by Aragonese armies.

South-East Asia, 1792

The Sino-Aragonese War

The bloodiest war in Aragonese history was fought between 2 July 1786 and 18 November 1791. The stakes? Nothing less than the control of South-East Asia.

The Aragonese generals did their usual excellent job - and the technological gap was decidedly in their favour. Yet the Ming had nigh inexhaustible forces, and had made alliances with the Manchu and the Japanese. The latter especially caused a scare when a modest Japanese force fell upon Aragon’s undefended East Indies and had to pushed out again by hasty reinforcements from Java.

Recognising the impossibility of substantial inroads into China itself, the Aragonese concentrated on retaking the old possessions of Khmer. In purely military terms this was achieved by 1790 (albeit coming under sustained counterattack by the Ming) and the Aragonese and Ming both sent out peace feelers.

The great difficulty lay with Ayutthaya. This vital strategic province held the largest city in South East Asia and the Aragonese wanted it more than anything – even to the extent of dropping most of their other claims. The Ming refused to budge no matter what Aragon came to the table with. Finally the Viceroy of India, Alfons de Montcada dropped Ayutthaya from the negotiating table, accepting instead the provinces of Rayong, Khorat, Sukhothai and Vientiane.

It was a courageous decision and as de Montcada met with Emperor Yongle he must have known it might end his political career. Yet he justified it, ending what was turning into a pointless war of attrition (that Aragon could scarcely hope to continue indefinitely) with an Aragonese victory. Furthermore Ayutthaya was, he argued, an isolated province that the Ming could hardly hope to keep in another war.

The Battle of Libya, 1792

Full Circle

No sooner had the dust settled in the East than Aragon found herself at war once again: the Mamluk Sultan had declared war on the 11 December 1791. Hurriedly troops were sent to reinforce the small army in Cyrenacia - that forgotten backwater that three hundred and thirty-five years earlier had been the very first step on the road to the Aragonese Empire.

Domènec Cajal, an experienced officer of the Indian Wars decided attack was the best form of defence. Invading Libya he confronted a numerically superior Mamluk force and routed them. Then he proceeded to lay siege to Darnah, the Libyan capital.

Not for long though; letters arrived from King Carles congratulating Cajal on his success so far - and requesting that the Aragonese flag fly over Darnah by 27 December; as a birthday honour for Queen Maria. Cajal promptly ordered the assault.

In fact the city fell on 23 December, allowing the weary soldiers a rest over Christmas. Then on the 27th, having toasted to the health of their majesties King Carles and Queen Maria of Aragon the army packed up their equipment and began the long march for Alexandria and the Nile Delta.

Finis

[RossN]

So it is finished! A surprisingly long reign for Carles, even discounting his 'post-game' 17 years!

I'd like to thank everyone who took the time to read and comment on this AAR. It has been a tremendously enjoyable achievement and one I hope to repeat soon.

It isn't quite the end - I plan on writing an epilogue and answering any questions you have.

[Nikolai]

Is finished? Well, a might good AAR it was! Too bad it's over already. I look forward to your next project. What do you have in mind?

[J. Passepartout]

Finished? Without Naples?

I think this calls for Royal Fireworks.

[Kurt_Steiner]

Finished? Oh damn... too good to end right now!!!

[Lord E]

So this great tale ends. It has been a good story to follow, so allow me to congratulate you on a finished EUIII AAR, well done Your last king ruled for long and did very well, so I think the game ended in a very nice way.