15
The road to glory must take you to Al-Andalus
1563-83
The rest of the 1560s goes by rather quietly. I lay low to burn BB off, but with a 3-dip king an a single 1-star reputation advisor available I can only shed a small amount. The emperor truly is an embarrassment, and worse, quite longevous
The only decent advisor I manage to get is a Fortification expert. At least he does a very good job.
News come that the colony in Majerteen will produce grain -not very thrilling but better than dust. I establish the Ibadat Khana religious decision, and the last of the Indian provinces converts to Islam. A new slider push, going for narrowminded this time. Government Tech 16 is reached, I start saving for a university in Damascus. The 101st Syrian vessel is finished in March 1569 and my first naval mission completed with it
The next long-term mission is also naval:
Rule the seas! (to have the largest big ship fleet). At this point this seems quite easily achievable as it only requires building 17 caravels to beat Great Britain...
All well and good, apart from the unsociable monarch. However the 1570s are not meant to be so peaceful...
The declaration of war comes just a couple of months later, in June 1571
Then Algiers DoWs in July
Isn't it nice when all your neighbours decide to come round for dinner?
Astrakhan and my new vassal-ally the TE support me on both. After counting enemy forces, the only scary opponent is Austria, so this could be after all a good opportunity to consolidate borders and maybe even get Malta and Sardinia.
First and easiest target is Khorasan, who had moved the capital to Kabulistan a few years ago. A quick peace deal for their ex-capital and some ducats is signed in August.
Unfortunately Astrakhan yields to Austria's 45 regiments in Kaffa just as easily. So much for the Astrakhani light cavalry charge...
They give away Crimea in September
Only 10 days before I destroy Austria's transport fleet. Those Austrian troops will remain in the Black Sea for a while.
Next in my list are the Mamluks. Their 9 infantry regiments are neutralised and peace signed as soon as Cairo falls in April 1572. They can focus on Funj now if they want.
Emperor al-'Adil IV is finally put to good use leading his army. Somehow the Algerians still manage to get really good king-generals, but it doesn't help them this time. Malta falls in September. Biskra and Kabylia fall in November and December. Needless to say, Apulia has already been taken the Austrians.
In October Oman decides to join the party and DoWs. The Mamluks honour their alliance with Oman. Oh well, there is always room for more guests, old and new. Note how the Mamluks and Hedjaz reduced Funj to an OPM. At this point, seeing the Ottomans a bit restless I guarantee them and ask them for MA, hoping they won't get bad ideas about me.
Algiers signs peace in January 1573 ceding silver-producing Biskra. Oman is similarly stripped of another province, Nizwa, a few months later.
Sardinia also falls in January, but my first landing attempt in mainland Aragon is an awful miscalculation
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I don't make the same mistake in the second landing. The emperor leads this time, with a larger army. He enters Valencia victorious in November 1574, taking his own back on El Cid and Jaume I
Peace with Aragon is finally secured for Malta, Sardinia, Alicante and Valencia.
Despite the BB this was too good an opportunity to miss. With a foothold in Iberia and prestige at an all-time high, the Caliphate can be rightfully claimed!
The war continues with Austria and Tver. Tver eventually offers a white peace, but Austria demands Apulia and large amounts of money, which I'm not very willing to give just yet.
Austria's remaining navy is cowardly hidden in Kaffa and Venezia, so I have full freedom to move across the Mediterranean. It's worth at least to try to dislodge the Austrians from Crimea. I take the undefended province of Budjak in 1575 and move a large contingent to the Black Sea, but unfortunately even al-'Adil commanding 50,000 men is not enough to defeat the Austrians there.
A Polish-Astrakhani war and a second DoW from Oman divert my attention from Austria. Astrakhan does quite well this time, getting two provinces from Poland and 3 from Tver. Oman gets away with just a core and some ducats.
In the meantime Government tech 17 is reached and Press Gangs chosen as next NI. The mission
Rule the Seas is also completed. Syria has now the largest navy in the world. The next mission, improving relations with Swahili, is much less interesting.
Having failed to invade Crimea and with the world's largest navy there is only one thing I can do with Austria: blockade! Not that it makes them any more willing to sign peace, white or otherwise.
1580...
1583...
But given that my WE goes down and theirs up, it's probably worth some patience
The warning from GB has now expired, although Khorasan and a couple of Indian nations have warned me since.
_________________
Syria in 1583
Provinces: 75
At war with Austria.
Allied with Astrakhan, TE. CB on Iraq. Guaranteeing the OE and Funj. Warned by Khorasan, Rajputana and Gujarat.
Stability: 3
BB: 20.10
Monarch: Caliph al-'Adil IV (6a/7m/3d)
Army: 87 (47/42/0)
Navy: 106 (61/14/5/26)
WE: 2.43