A Magna Mundi AAR for a nation I'd never heard of. Aquilea!

(part 2)
In March 1440 Bruno Freystadt defeated in yet another encounter with the Army and forced to flee over the border into Aquilean Istria. An emergency session was called.

"Grave news Patriarch, the Anti-Jewish violence presently infesting Germany has reached Istria," Ignazio Ruga reports somewhat gleefully.
"What! There are Jews in Istria, why wasn't I informed?" Antonio snaps.
"No, it's Bruno Freystadt and his Austrian Jew-hunters, the Austrian Army have forced him to invade Istria,"
"I see"
"In which case they must be dealt with, how many are there Ignazio?"
"Around 7000 I think there used to be 9000 I hear" came the reply.
"How many soldiers do we have?"
"2000" came the sober reply.
"But they are a rabble right, else the Austrians wouldn't have beaten them so much?"
"But they are a well-armed rabble Patriarch, even in the de-moralised state they are presently in, if you march your forces against them you will be massacred,"
"So what will we do?"
"Build more forces, my officials report we could easily conscript 1000 more people at this time although we lack the money to afford horses for them, however this is more than we can transport by boat,"
"Can we march through Austria?" Antonio asks.
"Yes we could, but I have already negotiated access through Gorz, it would take until about January next year to be able to negotiate another agreement, if only I had foreseen that this would happen,"
"Can Istria hold out until then?"
"Yes it should, but am willing to get on a boat and go to Istria just to make sure," Salvator Sforza replies.
"You do that," Antonio replies.
"We should also reduce investments and increase the money flow and then recruit mercenary forces at the end of this year, this would give us 4000 men to be deployed should the Austrians agree to cooperate,"
"And who is to command this force?" Ignazio adds.
"I guess I will have to command it, you can come with me to help with the details" Antonio remarks grimly.
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The Battle of Istria.

"In case you are wondering why I am here today leading you rather than saying Mass in the Cathedral of Aquileia, I will tell you this. It has nothing to do with not having enough money, or diplomats to hire someone else. No, it is because I am as much doing God's work here today, just as I would in the Cathedral. These men, not only have they defied the lawful divinely instituted authority of the Duke of Austria, but they did so not out of notions of freedom or freedom, but out of no other desire than to freely murder their fellow men, men made in the image of God. Know that despite their numbers God is with us, for he has so deprived them of victory they have been forced to flee their native land and invade ours! The time has come Christian Soldiers to send these minions of hell to their master!" Antonio addresses his forces.

The rebel ranks were vast, it seemed like the more they killed, the more they were. Many months the battle continued, Bruno Freystadt regrouped time and again in preparation for another assault. But the Anti-Semites were for all their experience of being defeated, still really little more than hateful rabble. They could not match the discipline of the Aquilean army or its morale. The confidence that their superior numbers gave them merely increased their losses.

1 third of the rebels died and the rest were forced back into Austria to face their inevitable death at the hands of the Austrian Army. After being pursued by Austrian forces to Trieste, Bruno Freystadt himself was slain on August 23rd and the last of his forces scattered to the four winds.


The result

1402-1406

The defining event of 1402 for the region in which Aquileia was located was the invasion of Cilli by King Janas I of Hungary on the 17th February. This affront to the territorial boundaries of the Holy Roman Empire did not go unanswered, the King of Bohemia, it's Emperor rallied the Imperial/Bohemian Army to avenge this violation of the Empire's borders by a Foreign power. While the Palatinate, the Swiss Confederation and Gorz supported Bohemia, they were unable to provide any real aid; Bohemia was left to fight alone against the might of Hungary. It was to be a long, evenly matched and gruelling war.

For Aquileia in particular, the only real event of importance was the expansion of Luciano Machino's merchant empire into Genoa. The period between 1402-1406 was a time of peace, prosperity and plenty. All the major powers were too engaged in war and internal disturbance to bother Aquilea, while there were no non-suicidal wars that could have been launched by its leadership, nor a valid excuse to wage one.
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News from Rome was disturbing. The Roman Curia in the typical fashion had elected the oldest man they could find as their Pope.
Well the new 'Pope' had died before he could actually be made Pope and there was now no Pope at all for the time being. He had a diplomat to spare so he could 'keep an eye on things'.
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On January 27th 1403 a new pope, Innocentius IX was elected. The Curia was dominated by Norwegians and it was widely rumoured that the new pope was a Norwegian pawn and highly corrupt. However Antonio could not see how this could possibly affect him.
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On May 9th, Venice desiring to expand their Greek possessions, invaded Achaea. However Achaea had wisely forged an alliance with Milan, Savoy and Naples. While of these only Milan could pose a serious threat to Venice, it was enough. Inspired by this, Antonio I forged an alliance with Milan on the 3rd October
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"Patriarch, two men wish to see you?" a messenger from the Privy Council interrupts him as he prepares for Mass.
"Can't you see I am busy with 'religious' matters!" he snaps.
"This is a religious matter," the messenger replies calmly.
"How come?"
"Well one of them is from the Pope of Rome and the other from the Pope of Avignon,"
"I see"

"Having heard both representatives make their case, I am not sure which is right, why must I support either?" Antonio asks.
"Well if we support Avignon we will be able to join the war against Hungary, because Hungary pledges to support to Roman Pope" Ignatius points out.
"But if we support the Pope in Rome, we will improve relations with many of neighbours, since the Avignon supporters a long way," Luchino Machini adds.
"What about supporting nobody?" Antonio asks.
"That will be perceived as weak and indecisive, never a good thing," Ignazio Rugo says gleefully.
"I guess not,"
"And if we attack Hungary, with the war going poorly for them as it is, maybe we would be able to take some of Croatia, for the true church of course," Ignazio remarks slyly.
"There is a catch right?" Antonio asks.
"Well there is the small matter of Austria, you see Austria guarantees the territorial integrity of Hungary and we cannot necessarily rely on the loyalty of our allies faced with such a foe," Salvator Sforzo replies.
Ignazio is shocked to be outmanoeuvred for once.
"Since it is completely irrelevant to any practical purposes related to the actual functioning of my diocese AND State, I will pledge to support the Roman Pope at the Synod, this is my decision"
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On the 6th May 1404 a Church Council was called to resolve the issue of the Schism. (I am unsure as to what is supposed to happen, isn't there are second event that happens when it is over?).
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August 25th was a black day from Aquilean merchants. Due to rumours of 'competition' between Aquilean and Genoese merchants due to the great expansion of Aquilean trade, all merchants that were not present in 1399 it was agreed were thrown out of the city and their goods and businesses confiscated. In order to hopefully prevent this happening again, in 1405 a trade agreement was struck with Genoa. The money was however not available to renew trade completely to that level until 1606.

Trade finally restored in Genoa. (Also note the twin civil wars in Savoy and Milan and the 'Imperial Demesne' in Verona
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In 1405 the Venetian war, having stagnated because the victorious Milanese army were unable to invade Venice itself, because the Venetian Navy wouldn't let them came to an end. However rebellion and discontent spread like wildfire and a a rebellion, the result of a deal between a discontented Venetian family and Greek Nationalists had already resulted in Independence for Athens. Achaea had also been annexed by Venice.

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After 4 years, the war has turned against Hungary. Sensing this, Moldovia attacks Hungary and Austria moves in to protect Hungary. However a deal is later made an Austria departs.

Initially the Hungarian forces had been successful; they had been able to annex Cilli on November 27th and had also invaded Bohemia itself. However the war was not the quick victory they had needed but a slow war of attrition in which many died, but little territory was taken. Eventually after 4 years, the weight of manpower on the side of Bohemia, able to recruit from the entire Empire turned the war in Bohemia's favour. With the capture of Budapest, an end to the war was negotiated. While Cilli remained in Hungarian hands, the region of Ersekujar was annexed by Bohemia.

A month later Hungary went bankrupt and there was still the war with Moldavia. On November 18th Hungary ceded the Ukrainian region of Carpethia to Molvavia also.


The mess that is 'Post-War' Hungary.
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The Croatian people were rising up against their Hungarian overlords. Miroslav Dragomir realised, as forces flying the Croatian flag poured through his village. The time had come he thought to avenge the crippling taxes, the arbitrary oppression, the trampling of Croatian rights and general unpleasantness that everyone he knew of blamed on Hungary. Or more accurately upon the ban of Croatia, but he spent all his time in Budapest hiding from the Croatian people.

And besides, he tired of the stifling rule of his elder brother and his mother and his sisters he was made he decided for more exciting things. Picking up his bow, the bow he had used to poach animals from the local Hungarian lord in times past, back when his father was still alive, he quietly joined the columns of Croatian rebel troops. He was not the only one.

The time had come to cancel the 'Personal Union' and 'Treaty of Zadar' that the Hungarians used to justify their brutal and exploitative rule over Croatia.

Enewald said:

Maybe this is the right time to attack Hungary?
Go Aquilea!

Click to expand...

I wish that were so, but unfortunately there is the small problem with Austria.

As I've just realised, they've rigged the whole system to ensure Austria loves Hungary and this unbalances the game seriously in that region.

Also there are small problems with Cillia and Gorz in the event files. Ie, Austria event annexes them and then the HRE kicks in to de-annex them. This goes on and on forever. I have now deleted the whole Austria event folder, since it is seriously stupid and EU2ish to have scripted annexation events regardless of other factors, but the damage to my ambitions is already done.

Note to reader, due to homework, university attendance and other things beside, this may be the last update I am able to make for over a week at least. This doesn't mean I've abandoned it so please reply and keep it up in the ranks.

1407-1410


Cilli Revolt

"Patriarch Antonio, not only have the Hungarians been unable to suppress the Croatian revolt, but another revolt has broken out in Cilli!" Marshall Ignatio Rugo reports gleefully.
"Why is this good news?" Antonio asks clueless.
"Because if the revolts are successful, then Hungary will be weakened and Croatia for instance will be much more easily 'influenced' than Hungary before and not under the protection of the Austrian Dukes,"
"Just what sort of influence are we talking about here?"
"Military influence,"
"And why would such a thing be Christian?"
"Well you see there is a certain passage in Scripture; I think it is called Romans 13. It says that a Christian must 'obey' the lawful authorities,"
"So why not intervene to help crush the revolt in Hungary now?"
"No Patriarch, then you would condemn the souls of those poor Croatian peasants to hell, no we wait until Croatia is fully Independent,"
"But then would they not be the lawful authorities?"
"They will be if we invade them,"
"Explain?"
"You see, being the result of rebellion, the Croatian state would be naturally illegitimate, but if we subject Croatia under *our* authority then the vassal authorities of Croatia will then become legitimate, since your divinely appointed authority my Patriarch is hardly in question, thus we can not only save the souls of the Croatians but expand our borders at the same time,"
"Ignazio! Where did you learn to be such a brilliant Theologian?"
"Its gets even better, because even if the Croatians rebel against us, then they are rebelling *for* the now legitimised Croatian State not against lawful authority, so they therefore do not lose their souls,"
"I'd never thought of it that way,"
"And since you've just saved their souls from the sin of rebellion, then you are therefore endowed with spiritual authority over Croatia and therefore by the nature of Aquileia’s constitution, temporal authority too,"

HOWEVER

The Austrian troops intervene to crush the revolt in Hungary.

So the whole plan fell horribly apart.



The 2nd of November saw the most pointless war ever launched. The Ottomans declared war on Hungary, despite the fact they couldn't even GET to Hungary.
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On June 2nd 1408 Antonio I was waylaid after Mass by a group of about a dozen Monks.

"We are Carmelites, we've just arrived here from Rome as a reward from the True Curia for your 'devotion' to the True Pope, we demand a place in your Patriarchate to live in, it would be unwise to refuse our demands and those of our.... sisters?" the sinister looking abbot says.
"Why's that?" Antonio asks.
"Well, I've heard you harbour certain..... opinions, that you apparently consider the Pope to be superfluous to salvation, if you are co-operative then certain comments will be overlooked, we aren't Dominicans after all," the abbot says smoothly.
"Such as!" Antonio exclaims.
"For instance once you remarked that the present holy war between the Pope and the filthy Schizmatic Anti-Pope was irrelevant, that it would not matter one bit if both Popes and all their Cardinals threw themselves off a cliff,"
"You can have a nice bit of land in Fruili don't you worry,"
"Nice to do business with you Patriarch," the Abbot says smiling.
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10th December 1409

"The rise and power of Austria is impressive but so is that of Bohemia, I would predict a clash at some point between these two powers and I think I have some idea how we could possibly exploit the situation, which costs us nothing"
"Which is?"
"We will guarantee Bohemia, while we will warn Venice at the same time,"
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On the 13th February, reforms were implemented increasing the control of the State over Aquileia’s merchants, with the aim of increasing revenues.

And something rather odd and buggy happened.


Austria event-annexes Gorz as per the Austria gets bigger and scarier events. However, Austria had to release Gorz and then the Austria gets bigger and scarier events just happened again. I have now deleted the offending buggy Magna Mundi events along with the un-buggy Austria loves Hungary events. Austria wills consequently never event-annex Hungary.
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September 20th
"News from Rome your excellence, the location of the Church Council has finally been decided, it is to be held in Cordoba, under King Carlos I of Castille" one of Antonio's priestly entourage reports.
"It certainly took them long enough, why Cordoba though?"
"Because it will remind we Christians of the Saracen threat perhaps," the priest replies.
"That would be it I guess,"
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On November I 1410, Bernadetto di Campofregoso was hired as Master of Mint. He was available since the monetary reforms of 13th February, but it took a number of months of minting to acquire enough funds to hire him, something Antonio was desperate to do before he moved on to new quarters. He replaced Siege Engineer Salvator Sforza. His first advice was quite predictable.

"The minting rate of coins is too high!"
To which the reply was.
"It had to be else I would not have been able to hire you,"

If I were you, I would keep clear of the Balkan beehive for now. Maybe you could look for prey across the Mediterrenean. Abide your time. Wait for one of the small islands to declare independence. Usually Corfu, Sardinia, Naxos or Cyprus let their guards down at some point.

Click to expand...

The small problem is that I only have 1 transport. I used to have 2 but I got rid of it to replace it with an extra galley. My naval support limit is 1 ship and I have 3.

May I ask why you decided on a galley? With your naval force limits you cannot hope to field a naval fleet that can match any of your potential enemies in a naval engagement. At this stage, cogs would probably be the better investment, even though they would be unprotected.

Click to expand...

I can quickly raise a lot of money through minting due to my extensive trade connections, if I willing to suffer inflation I could raise 30 ducats a year in wartime, but I cannot do so constantly in peacetime for obvious reasons. It would not take long to construct cogs if I actually need to transport troops and there is no exact hurry to do so.

If you think of it in 'investment' terms, if I buy myself a load of galleys then this means I need to invest less mint-money to raise even more galleys to defeat my enemies fleets.

There is also the other element, which is the fact that I must keep the ports open and my trade routes secure for the sake of my main source of money.... trade, if I keep trade going and destroy my enemies trade links then I am far more powerful than my size would imply. To do that, a strong militery rather than transport navy is vitally required.

My normal inclination tends to be a pacifistic/trader one, however this doesn't make exciting AARs. To me being able to sieze some impoverished and rebellious meditteranean island is worthless, if it weakens my overall ability to defend my trade income. At the moment, it is imperative I expand my trade even further, because Venice and Genoa are annoyingly both allied to eachother and that is where my investments are, only by expanding to Byzantium and beyond can I invest in enough states that my income cannot be totally crippled by embargoes from them.

Imageshack is being temperemental and therefore I have been unable to update quickly, which is a shame.

1411-1413

"Our priority for now as ever Patriarch is to expand our trading networks, because it is from this source that the vast majority of our income comes, not the inhabitants of the barren, under populated region that your excellence unfortunately rules and a war with Genoa and Venice, which are allies could cut off that income, to be able to contend with the great powers we will need traders all of Europe," Bernadetto di Campofregoso advisors.
"Where do you advise we expand?" Antonio I asks, clueless as ever.
"Well, we have already got a foothold in Constantinople, to expand there should be our first priority and after that there in Alexandria, this place is expensive to invest in, but lucrative in the extreme should we succeed," Bernadetto suggests.
"But if Alexandria is so expensive, won't it take a long time to raise enough revenue to fully expand there?"
"Time isn't exactly a scarce commodity, like any nation we must learn to think in terms of decades and centuries,"
"If we expand full in Constantinope AND Alexandria, then we be so rich that not even the Emporer himself will be able to resist our armies, so vast shall they be!" Ignazio Rugo declares.
"Send the surplus census money to Luchino Machino and get him to visit Constantinople and oversee the expansion of our trade there," Antonio instructs his privy council.
"Excellency, Luchino's already *in* Constantinople!" Bernadetto replies.
"In which case send the money to him in Constantinople,"
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April 2rd

The delegates of nations all over the world began to arrive in the City of Cordoba for the Council. Expectations and Tensions are high, as are hopes for a solution for the Church Schism.
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April 3rd.

Luchino sends news of success in Constantinople. Aquilea has taken 4th place.
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Domingo de la Vega smiled behind his large bushy moustache as he watched the delegates from all around the world flee Corboba to escape his Revolutionary Army siege of the city. The King of Spain and the wretched noble leeches that clung to him would be humiliated, even if his siege of Cordoba failed. He had achieved something that was almost as brilliant as would be the final overthrow of the Spanish government by his forces, for the Council of Corboba would be remembered for its dispersal at his hands and himself and his entire army would be written in the history books of the world even were he to fail in his plans.

Even if he failed and met with a grisly death, then there was one thing they would never be able to do. And that was write the Castillian people out of the history books as they had always done, they would forever be remembered. And perhaps some time in the future, perhaps many centuries the way that 'ignorant', 'backwards', 'superstitious' peasants would inspire others in their own struggles, make them see that together the people of a remote province could frustrate in the name of Liberty, all the plans of the spiritual tyrants of the entire world,".

"Just watch them run! Run back to their whores, better men than they! See how they scatter at all directions, in their haste to get back to the men to whom they sold out Christ who lived a life of poverty and simplicity, like Judas did for 40 pieces of silver,"
His men cheer loudly.
"If they had courage they would have remained within Corboba for their Council rather that keep the Church divided! There is plenty of time to pray and talk inside a besieged city, but they simply fear that they will be forced to live on mouldy bread and water, rather than the fine meats and wines they are accustomed to!"
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"We gave the Venetians a warning, they have chosen to ignore that warning and have invaded Athens," Ignazio Ruga reports gleefully.
"So what would you suggest be our response?" Antonio asks
"That we GO TO WAR WITH VENICE!" Ignatio Ruga declares.
"War?"
"Yes, if we go to war, most of Italy will support us, because of our alliance with Milan, having warned Venice themselves or some such, I don't really know the details,"
"But why is it a Christian thing to do to go to war with Venice?"
"We aren't so much going to war with Venice, it's more like we are defending our fellow Christians from Venetian aggressor,"
"But aren't they Schizmatics down in Athens?"
"Well technically yes, but consider that according to half of Christendom you are a Schismatic for supporting the Pope in Rome over the Pope in Avignon,"
"I suppose they are still Christian,"
"And if we don't stop Venice, who’s to say we won't be next in line?"
"I suppose that is true, if as much of Italy would support us as you said, then it is a good idea to fight the war now on our terms than fight it later on theirs," Antonio decides.
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The War against Venice.

Bernadetto enters the room.

"Patriarch, I bring good news," he declares.
"What sort of news?" Antonio asks.
"Well, Genoa has dishonoured their alliance with Venice, quite rightly fearing Milan and Savoy and what they could do to Genoa together,"
"Anything else?"
"Well I have contact with some bankers, from Florence, they have money, 81,000 ducats (81 ducats in game terms) of it and they are prepared to lend it to you, I advise that you accept it, because without it you will not be able to raise enough forces to match the Venitians"
"I will accept the deal," Antonio says nodding.
"One last note, use some of that money to invest in trade in Alexandria, because there is no point in recruiting troops you cannot afford,”
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The Venetian Army engages.

"Patriarch! A huge Venetian army, more than 3 times the size of our own army is approaching from Treviso and our men are barely mobilised to resist them!" Ignazio Ruga reports.
"What do you advise we do?"
"Retreat into Austria and march south all the way to Istria, where we will build our forces up, organise and train them hopefully to above the level of the Venetian troops and then return to soundly thrash them and send them back to Treviso,"
"But what about the Mercenary Knights that I just hired, will they arrive before the Venetians engage us?"
"No they won't I'm afraid, we will have to sacrifice some men against the Venetians to buy time for their arrival, at which point we will retreat, it is vitally important that we receive those Knights, beyond the money that we have already spent to hire them,"
"Why's that?"
"Because they would give us double the numbers of Cavalry that the Venetians have, for war cavalry supremacy is generally nearly everything in an engagement,"
"We shall do as you suggested, I will instruct Bernadetto to oversee the capture
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The Cavalry arrived on March 20th, but due to 'Communications difficulties' the actual retreat actually happened on March 22nd. The battle cost the lives of around 150 Aquilean soldiers but the retreat into Austria was successful. The trade expansion in Alexandria was a Semi-Successful; the Aquileans managed to achieve 2 out of 4 success rate, but in Byanzatium a Aquilean trade company went bust, reducing Aquilean presence there from 5 to 4.
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1st February 1913

In Aquileia things were getting desperate. The people were starving and huge breaches had already started to appear in the walls. Luchino Machino cursed his clerical master for getting them involved in this worthless war in the first place, it was Ignazio Ruga's madness, that man he loved war too much and had Antonio wrapped around his little finger.

Politics had left him in charge of the defence of the entire city; he had risen through the ranks of the townsfolk, to the rank of Mayor by virtue of his vast wealth, accrued due to his prominent role in the rise of Aquilean traders throughout the whole region. He thanked God the Venetians had declined to launch an assault, instead there was the endless thump* crack* as Venetian Trebuchets landed another blow against the city walls. At times a rock flew over the falls and crushed the house of some poor person flat, with them inside it naturally.

Where was Antonio? He had abandoned them he was sure of that.
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Antonio Veniero reacted to the news of the arrival of the Aquilean 'relief force' with disdain. So he thought, the worthless Aquilean forces had somehow managed to raise a force equal in numbers to his. It didn't matter, he was a proud Condottieri Captain with a life of martial glory behind him, while the Aquileans were led by a souped up priest.

"Follow me men! These inbred Alpine Dogs have finally summoned up enough courage and Slavic Weasels from Istria I add to actually face us. We have spent many months besieging their Capital and once we have outmanoeuvred and destroyed them, we shall be able to take their gold and widows at our pleasure!"
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Antonio watched with pleasure as his troops, a mixture of Aquilean conscripts and German Mercenaries marched along the road towards Aquileia. He could see the proud German mercenary knights and addressed their captain Hans Wolbert.

"We have the advantage in cavalry numbers thanks to you. So make sure to limit this Condottieri's manoeuvre room, if we are able to pin his forces down and our halberdiers will make short work of their forces," Antonio instructs him.
His interpreter releys the instruction to him.
"Yes we shall do as ordered," came his reply.
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The battle was fierce; the Aquilean forces equipped with heavy halberds engaged the lighter Italian infantry. The Italians as was expected attempted to outmanoeuvre their heavier opponents. The Aquilean cavalry, commanded on one flank by Hans Wolbert were able to as planned limit the manoeuvring room of the Venetian forces, forcing them together against the halberds of the Aquilean forces. The fate of the Venetian forces therefore was sealed, after a number of bloody retreats they were finally forced out of the province in the final engagement of March 14th 1413.



However they were far from completely defeated. Retreating into Treviso, they prepared for a second engagement, but received the same result as the first. They were forced ironically back into Aquileia and pursued again.
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Antonio I was finding warfare to be an endless trek along dusty mountain tracks in search of Venetian deserters. His cavalry had run down the greater part of the Venetian army, but he knew that there was more hiding somewhere in these blasted mountains. That was the problem with winning, winning meant scattering the enemy, but the enemy needed to be pursued otherwise they would rally again, because the officers of the enemy could hunt down their own men too. This was the problem, as long as one officer remained free and living then the enemy could never be truly defeated and instead things just passed forth like a game of tennis.

An arrow flies down from the mountainside and strikes Patriarch Antonio I's horse. His horse throws Antonio onto the Halberd spike of one of his own men. The Patriarch dies, speared through his own chest, on the spike of one of his own men.
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Salvatore Basso was Papal Nuncio to Aquilea. In his hands lay the important matter of the succession of Antonio I. News of his glorious death in battle had reached him very fast and now he had to decide his successor. Normally an extended period of consultation would be conducted, but Ignazio Ruga wasn't having any of it.

"Fact of the matter *is* Nuncio, that Antonio Bianchi was a great war hero before he joined the priesthood since he had a vision of the Virgin Mary or something like that I hear. At a time like this we *need* someone like this, Aquilea needs a leader and one with the full weight of patriarchal authority for the war against Venice," Ignazio insists.
"So you would break protocol in order to elevate some untested priest to the Patriarchate, because he was once a great war Hero?"
"Exactly, if you don't like it know that I am quite prepared to seize power myself and if that happens, you can understand that my loyalties will be with the other Pope,"
"Are you threatening me?!" Salvatore spits.
"The fact of the matter is that the men still mourn Antonio. For the sake of their morale, he must be replaced and what better man to replace an Antonio I than an Antonio II, one of them?"
"You presume to dictate the decisions of the Pope's own Nuncio!"
"I don't presume anything Nuncio, I know what Aquileia needs and since you have no reasonable ground to refuse my request, I will simply interpret this as pro-Venetian sentiment and react accordingly" Ignazio responds calmly.
Salvatore gasps.
"I trust you to decide your choice with all the guidance of the Holy Spirit," Ignazio Rugo finishes.

Antonio II the 'War Hero'.
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It was yet another defeat for the Venetian army. Antonio II, after receiving the news of his Patriarchal status, quickly took up the sword and rushed to join the army. Delivering yet another victory against the exhausted Venetian forces, Antonio I was finally able to destroy the last of the Venetian forces on May 17th 1413.

A weary looking man approaches him.

"I am Guido Moreno, one of the two Venetian Captains still active, the others location I will keep secret as security," the captain says.
"Ignazio told me that someone called Antonio Veniero commanded your army?"
"Veniero abandoned us; he stole a common boat and is in Venice now I think,"
"So you are surrendering then,"
"Yes, I offer you my contract and the contract of Enrico Rossi to you as a gesture and proof of our surrender,"
Guido gets on his knees and offers Antonio II the contracts.
"Your surrender is accepted, go in peace, rally your troops and bring them Oderzo where my representative will disarm you of all your bows and spears and negotiate the dispersal of your forces,"
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i like your AAR. Good luck. i m not sure, is the venezia province a part of the hre ?

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No and nor is Treviso, although it may have left the HRE during the game I don't know. Basically, Venice is fair game for expansionism. Not that it has many provinces to steal that aren't Greek.

Maybe you should vasssalize venezia?
Brings more cash.

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We shall see. Vassalising Venezia will be difficult, in fact invading Venezia itself is difficult as we shall probably see..... Remember also the sheer cost of this war on my part.

1414-1417

The Walls of Treviso today

The siege of Treviso was underway. Trebuchets had been installed and were bombarding the walls. The prospects for the defenders were grim, unless the Venetians could somehow manage to mobilise enough forces to relieve them.

Attacking Venice itself however would be a mammoth task, not merely because a city built on water *is* a natural fortress, but because to reach it one would have to cross a lagoon, which was more than deep enough that the Venetian galleys could quite easily sail to stop you.

Although the construction of 2 extra galleys was underway, it would take many years to raise the finances to afford the kind of fleet that could match Venice in battle, not to mention the expense of maintaining such a fleet. If Venice refused to make peace however, Antonio II was more than willing to continue to that point.
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"Patriarch, the Austrians they have arrived!" Ignazio reports to Antonio II.
"What do the Austrians have to do with anything?" Antonio asks.
"Well it appears that, sensing Venitian weakness after our glorious victory against their army, the Austrians decided to launch their own war against Venice,"
"Vultures to the kill then, how many?"
"At least 12000,"
"Can the area support so many troops in addition to our own?"
"Definitely not,"
"So we are forced to consider the unthinkable, we must storm Treviso while its walls are still intact,"
"But with 12000 vultures it will be easy and we'll make sure they take most of the casualties," Ignazio assures him.
"We'll see how well these vultures fly then!" Antonio declares.
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For the garrison of Treviso it was like there was a flood of Austrian and Aquileia forces, an ocean of white and navy blue uniforms flooding over the walls from 100s of siege boats in the moat. The situation was hopeless, there were just too many. They were everywhere.
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It was over. The bodies of the garrison were piled up in the streets and their blood collected like rainwater in vast puddles. The Austrian and Aquilean forces celebrated their victory in the 'usual fashion' as the terrified population tried to cower in their homes. He had already sent orders for all the Austrians and most his forces to depart the city, he would not allow these vultures to steal his victory as he thought that the vast horde that they were would inflict a great deal of damage on what he hoped would be a great economic asset for Aquileia.

The cities vassal Doge was brought before him. He had little intention of slaying him, as he understood it to disrupt the governance of Treviso.

"Doge, you are to obey Ignazio Ruga and I in everything upon pain of death, Ignazio Ruga will be appointed as the supreme commander of this city and of its garrison until the resolution of this war,"
"I understand..... most merciful holy and serene Patriarch," the Doge replies.
"Ignazio Ruga, recruit a new garrison from the slums of Aquileia’s towns to defend Venice and oversee its occupation,"
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With the fall of Treviso and the increasingly desperate situation for Venice and it's allies in Greece, the war rapidly reached it's conclusion. Sicily negotiated a separate peace on 15th March.

The final negotiation of the end of the Venetian-Athenian war as it became known came on the 9th April 1414. Its terms were simple; Venice agreed to hand over the city of Treviso and all their other mainland territories to Aquileia. This was a great gain to Aquileia, since Treviso was almost 2 times as wealthy as their existing provinces.


The Spoils of War
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With the conclusion of the war, the situation was set for trade expansion into Byzantium. However, the Byzantines were up to their old tricks and decided to expel all Aquileia merchants in October 7th. Taking this as a message, a Trade Agreement was negotiated with Byzantium on October 9th.

1415-1417 can be seen as a long process of expansion back into Venice and also Byzantium and also saving up for loan repayments. Level 5 was eventually re-obtained in both Venice and Byzantium.
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Anti-Semitists besiege of Venice.

27th January 1416
Jacobo Modigliano watched the pitiful remnants of Andrea Pollani's infantry scramble to leave their own city, crammed into Gondola's and barges. No doubt the Doge had cogs ready to 'rescue' the pitiful remnants who defied the will of God. The scale of the people's wrath against the Venetian government was glorious to behold he thought, as he kicked mutilated corpse after mutilated corpse into the Canal.

For he understood the true reason WHY they had lost the war to the Alpine dogs! The Doge was too soft on filthy Jews and their recent defeat was a sign of God's displeasure. I mean, not only did the Doge pamper and say nice things about the God-Killers like he was a filthy Crypto-Jew, but he actually included a Jewish Banker as one of his closest advisors. Jacobo had secretly raised forces from not only Venice itself, but Germany too, many of them veterans of previous Anti-Jewish struggles.

But it was not over, the central islands had all been barricaded and would have to be surrounded and besieged into submission in the manner of a fortress. But he had all the time God had granted him and God was on his side.
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Some visitors had arrived in Aquileia. They were the Florentine bankers.
"I trust that do not have the money to repay our loan, which is good since we have enjoyed our interest greatly," one of the bankers tells Bernadetto.
"No, we have the money, all 81,000 stinking ducats," Bernadetto replies calmly.
"How is that possible!"
"Work it out for yourselves, just make you enjoy all 81,000 ducats, since it cost many years of blood and sweat, not to mention.... inflation in order to get that much money,"
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Another New Province in the making?

Gastone Sabbati and his men had grown tired of being treated with contempt and derision by their Bohemia overlords. Sure, the inhabited the so-called "Imperial Demesne" but this didn't mean that the Lombardian people that happened to live there were the personal slaves of the Emporer in Prague. All that Emperor ever did with Verona was take money, he left it's administration in the hands of incompetent and corrupt Bohemian administrators. Enough!

All he needed was a symbol. A symbol that would express what they hoped ultimately to become. This had proven a difficult question to resolve. Milan had been an option, to rejoin their ancestral State; a Duchy that had handed them over to the Emperor because he felt the Empire needed an official 'Capital', which would express the essentially Elective nature of the HRE by not being Prague. Not that the Emperor either spent any time *in* Verona listening to its concerns, it was a token empty gesture at the people’s expense.

But there was another nation, which had recently taken Treviso and would he felt be interested in taking over more territory in Lombard Italy. He had heard that the Patriarch of Aquilea Antonio II was the perfect Theocrat, a man that was both pious and morally upright, but also a feared military leader and able administrator.

He raised his newly acquired Aquilean flag before his fellow rebels. It hadn't been cheap to buy.
"This is what we are, we are Aquileans, not Milanese and certainly not Bohemians!"
"Aquilea!" his men chanted.
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