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Strange Shores: An Aragonese AAR

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Australia seems to be discovered rather early in this game. I had knowledge of the eastern portions right around this same time. Seems kind of weird.

Did you get cores on those portuguese colonies when you took them? If not, how long did it take before you could start building that Army of Brazil?

Nice colonization going on still. I imagine you might be planning a little something with the Incas right about now.
 
Patrick O'Harte said:
Aragon, an empire under the sun. :D
Click to expand...

Yes, the sun never sets on Aragonese Empire. Excellent progress in expanding your self across the globe. Hopefully this golden age of sorts for you isn't shattered by war :D
 
A most interesting turn for colonial development, I must say :)

I still haven't found my Great Fixation, although I do have a list of candidates. It's been far too long since I've found an idea and fixated on it to the point of obsession. In fact, I think the last one was my quest in your Tuscan/Byzantine AAR when I kept pushing you to take on the Ottomans :D Anyway, the list:

1. Unify the Iberian Peninsula
Pros: You're already 2/3rds of the way there, and it can be called the most historically plausible option
Cons: Too predictable for my tastes, and likely to be too easy

2. Unify all of Italy
Pros: Again you're already a good portion of the way there, and Aragon had a historical interest in the Peninsula
Cons: As above, with the added negative that you might get on the Pope's bad side

3. Recreate the Western Roman Empire, at least territory-wise
Pros: Combines 1 and 2, plus gives you a nice, large empire to play with
Cons: That "nice, large empire" will be insane to manage, the enemies you'll make in the attempt will be significant (France, England, the Pope, and that's just the guys in your direct line of conquest...), and still a bit too "standard" for me...

4. Conquer All Africa
Pros: A nice challenge, you've already started, and just "out in left field" enough to interest me without being totally impractical--probably my favorite idea of the bunch
Cons: Time, resources, slight possibility of getting on the bad side of a large and important chunk of the Muslim world

But, as I said before, I'm still narrowing it down, although, as noted above, the "Conquer All Africa" one is becoming a fast favorite. Also feel free to refer to this post as a tipsheet for some of your own plans, should you choose to do so :)
 
Keeping the inheritance without any problems is a quite reasonable achievement in and of itself. Difficult to swallow that much. Though one hopes you get Portuguese culture at the end of it!!!
 
Congrats on the discovery of Australia! :cool:

I'm looking forward to seeing what the next king will do.
 
Specialist290 said:
Anyway, the list:

1. Unify the Iberian Peninsula
Pros: You're already 2/3rds of the way there, and it can be called the most historically plausible option
Cons: Too predictable for my tastes, and likely to be too easy
Click to expand...

Still it would be worth doing. However if Castile has expanded in the New World it could be an enormous undertaking. A lot of time, money and ships would be needed. :cool:

Joe
 
ferraniiijoaniiila3.png

Ferran III & Joan III​

9) Ferran III (1564-1575) & Joan III (1575-1578)

Ferran III, son of Joan II had spent much of his life in Lisbon with the Portuguese branch of the Royal family. He was the first Aragonese monarch to speak and write Portuguese. Despite the alarmist fears of some nobles he did not in fact move his court to Lisbon but rather made the integration of the two elements of his empire the goal of his reign.

A relatively short reign sadly; 9 years. While visiting Genoa in January 1575 he succumbed to dysentery, dying on 28 February. He was thirty-nine.

The crown passed to his brother Joan, himself suffering from leprosy (though the extent of his ailments was concealed from public knowledge). Poor Joan soldiered on for three more years before passing away on 9 November 1578, leaving youngest brother Alfons to take the throne.

Despite the brevity of their reigns and their personal misfortunes the brothers presided over a decisive period in the history of the Aragonese Empire.

portugeseculturetp1.png

The benefits of Ferran III policies.​

The Other Kingdom

Under Alfons VI Portugal had been ruled as a separate kingdom unto itself; under Joan II the Portuguese had been in a position somewhat akin to the Sicilians: part of the Empire but not equal participants in the manner of the Catalans and Lombard Italians.

Ferran III abolished the old laws treating Portuguese territory as colonial and restored to power the old Portuguese administration in Brazil. These acts where not necessarily popular in Aragon but they helped change the Portuguese people from subjects to near-equals. Indeed the Acts of Lisbon (9 September 1566) explicitly recognised the old Portuguese realm as a core part of the Aragonese Empire, while the Acts of Saint George (1 October 1566) did likewise in matters of language, law and customs. The Portuguese could now take their place with the Catalans and Lombards - as participants in Aragon.

El Dorado

The first Aragonese explorers who stumbled across the Inca Empire had been amazed to discover a great and powerful native kingdom, which while deficient in technology showed an impressive level of organisation. Contact during the reign of Joan II had been limited; the Aragonese feeling insufficiently secure of their presence in South America to attempt action one way or the other.

In the time of Ferran III however attitudes had changed. Two very different groups advocated war with the Incas. The first was motivated by simple lust for gold a substance which (it was alleged) the Incas possessed in great quantities.

The second attitude took a much less material view; the Church had always taken a firm view against heathenism but when reports of human sacrifice began to arrive the appalled bishops begged the King to intervene and stamp out such pagan savagery.

The 3rd War of Aragonese Aggression

Despite the pressure Ferran delayed war for several years, quietly building up his strength. The armies in South America consisted almost entirely on Portuguese (i.e. Brazilian) soldiers. In any ways the coming war would end up cementing their position in the Empire but at the time some questioned their resolve.

Eventually on 23 April 1572 the four (later five) Aragonese consisting of 20,000 (later 24,000) men invaded Inca territory. At first progress was reasonably swift but as the Aragonese forces neared the Inca heartland the great scale of the foe became clear. For three years the war hung in the balance as the muskets and pikes of the Aragonese slowly wore down the strength of the foe.

Ferran III did not live to see the conclusion of the war, but shortly after his death Cusco fell and Inca resistance began to unravel. Eventually Huscar, the Inca Emperor surrendered. His entire realm was absorbed by Aragon, instantly making the Incas the third largest ethnic group in the Empire.

The King is dead, long live the...

Joan III had little enough time to administer his new holdings. A little more than two years later he was dead. Ferran III might have overseen the war and Joan III the victory, but the peace would be left to other hands.


peru1578uj2.png

Peru, 1578​
 
coz1: Well they are all core now but at first I could only build Men at Arms for infantry in Brazil; now I can build my standard Maurician Infantry. :)

Patrick O'Harte: Heh, yeah. :D

Terraferma: Well... I did win the war. :)

Specialist290: Interesig ideas... I'll try and keep them in mind. :)

stnylan: Done! :)

crusaderknight: 'Kings' alas. :(

J. Passepartout: True. No competition neither. :)

Storey: Indeed. :eek:
 
Good work in South-America, also you now accept Portuguese as culture that is very nice. Good to see the king’s work worked out and you got some benefits from it. Now that you have the Inca Empire under control you can expand your holdings in South-America even more…
 
A very large chunk taken there. Good thing you have many troops already in SA. I suppose it's now time to look north, eh?
 
Excellent new addition to the Empire. Hopefully incorporating it won't be too troublesome.
 
Ah good job adding the Incas to your kingdom, keep it up and you will have a nice sphere of influence in the West.
 
Nice indeeed... but don't loose your kings so fast ;)
 
Congrats on defeating the Inca so swiftly! Its too bad Ferran and Joan died so quickly. Perhaps their successor will last longer?
 
Most Excellent Work, RossN!

Sorry I haven't dropped in before now. No excuses. ;)

But you've made remarkable progress outside of your "normal sphere"!

I'll keep watching.

Rensslaer
 
Now THAT is how you colonize! Your doing a great job so far! Keep it up!
 
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