-I speak to you today of a great injustice. I speak to you today with a heart that is at once both sad and yet hopeful. We, the center of the Catholic world, have seen our country become a pawn in the international game of realpotik. Nothing more than a strictly secular nation. Certainly nothing to be afraid of. Yet little more than a thousand years ago, our hallowed ancestors made the world tremble before the might of Rome. The words Roman Empire were whispered in reverence and in fear all over the known world. Yet our country had been reduced to a shadow of what it once was. I say no more with our nation be slaves to the whims of the Napoli, Genovese and Venetian traders who seek to take every single ducat our peasants have toiled in the dusty field to make. No more will the Italian city-states regard us as their benevolat guardian. We will make Europe tremble before us. We will, once again take our place among the Empires of yore -transcript of Pope Martinus V's speech in front of the Senate on Janaury 1, 1419
Okay in case you haven't already figured I'm doing the Papacy from my next AAR
Settings: Very Hard/Furious
Version: 1.05, EEP v1.1a
OOC note: In the EEP there is a CoT in Napoli, just to clear things up
In order to understand the country that we now live in today, we need to take a look back. History has almost as much relevance to the present as the present itself has. So it is crucial, therefore to examine the History of the Papal States. In particular the period between 1419-1820, for it is in this period that the foundation is laid for the country that we now know as the Roman Empire. Now I assume that you've all taken World History in primary school, so there's no need to talk about Papal History before 1419.
So without further ado, the tale begins
The Reign of Pope Martinus V
In order to examine the events that shaped our nation during Martinus's reign it is necesscary to look at the state of the nation on Jan 1, 1419
The Papal States, occupied a small three-province strip of land in Central Italy. To the north and west were the three small Italian city-states:Tuscany, Siena and Modena. To the north were two more small one-province states: Milan and Mantua. And finally to the south lay the two-province country of Naples. Even though on one hand the Papacy was very weak economically,on the other it did possess the most powerful army on the Italien penisula. As well it wielded the most influence. Venice, although many times more powerful than the Papacy economically, stayed for the most part out of Italian politics, it's attention more focussed on Balkan affairs. As well Genoa, the other major trading nation was content to remain, for the most part, neutral. So basically what all this boiled down to, was that there was a power vacuum on the Italian penisula. On paper, the Papacy seemed weak, but it was surrounded by even weaker nations and it was in a region where most of the other major European nations didn't exert much influence. The only other nation to exert influence in this region was Aragon by virtue that it controlled Sicily, Malta and Sardinia. But their attention was drawn toward the last stages of the reconquista. As well the Pope, being the secular head of Europe, could get away with more than the average European nation could in terms of expansion.
In 1419, the Papal treasury numbered 300 ducats. The three provinces it controlled were Romagna, Marche and its capital province Roma. Romagna produced large quantities of salt, Marche produced wool and Roma produced grain. The Papacy was a very aristocractic nation ( +8 )
was quite decentralized ( +1 ), was narrowminded (+4 ), was very merchantilistic (+8 ). Its military was defensive in nature (+4 ), more funds were diverted to the army ([COLOR=crimson+4)[/COLOR]) , Quality was empthasized more than quantity ( +6) Finally the Papacy was a nation of serfs ( +7) ) It's one army was the Army of the Holy Cross commanded by a Col. Asti. It numbered 10 000 men (9k inf/1k cav) and it's only navy was docked in Ancona Harbour, the Papal Fleet, commanded by Commodore Medicis and consisted of 10 warships.
So that was the nation. It's been said that every great nation needs a great ruler and Pop Martinus V was just that. ( 5/5/4 ). A very charismatic speaker, he lived to preach to the crowd. He was the first pope to think in the European mindset of the time, which was to conquer, pillage and do it all over again. All of the popes before him, never seriously tried to expand the Papal State's borders, but Martinus did. It was a revoluntinary idea to have a Pope who cared just as much about conquest as they did about prayer
It's hard to say whether he actually believed in the idea of a New Rome as much as he let on, or whether he was just trying to shock the normally staid and conservative men in the Senate. All accounts though portray him as a man of great vision and who had the unique ability to think both in terms of the present and in the future.
Martinus knew the first step in his dream was the conquest of the Italian penisula, and that would have to start with Naples. More specifically, the Napoli Centre of Trade. However his options were slighty limited, because the Papacy as a by-product of years of peace and neutrality had no CBs, or legimiate causes to go to war with any nation. Any expansion would be met with resistance both at home and aboard. So first, Martnus concentrated on improving the economony and the infrastructure of his country. To that end he centralized the government further ( =+2) ). He entered into the Liguria Accord which was a military alliance with the countries of Savoy, Genoa, Milan and Modena. His hope was to perhaps gain chances for war with other Italian countries. As well he knew that he would need allies if the time came. He also began sending merchants to the Napoli CoT, and soon established a foothold there. In Decemeber 1419, his hard work began to pay off as the infrastructure of the country improved. As well the research into naval pratices also improved ( Naval Tech =1 ).
He immeditaly started to reform the corrupt tax collection system by promoting tax collectors. Intially this plan met with resistance because of its cost, the fact that peasants would be taxed further, and that the Senators and other nobles that had been profiting from the corruption saw their second source of income dry up. However the thrill of more money excited them and the plan was approved. Immeditaly a tax collecter was promoted in Roma.
In Janaury 1421, a skilled new leader who was named Muzio Sforza emerged to take command of the Army of the Holy Cross which had been expanded to include 24 000 men (20k inf/4k cav).
As soon after a dominant position had been reached in Napoli, more merchants had been sent to Liguria. In Janaury 1422,after an incident at a party where a diplomat from the small German one-province minor Wurtemberg insulted the Pope's mother, or lack thereof, a legimiate cause to go to war with the offending nation emerged. However the country could not be reached or neither could their allies, so the CB remained unused. In August of 1423 trade resarch. paid off as Papal merchants found out a way to establish trading posts in unclaimed terrorities ( Tech Tech=2 ). In Janaury, Muzio died of complications from a goat kick to the stomach and the command of the army passed back to Col. Asti. In July of 1425 the infrastructure of the country improved again (IT=lvl 2 ). As apperciation for the advances in technology, the nobles chipped in and donated 100 ducats to the national treasury. Fianlly by Janaury 1426, Martinus had had enough of sitting on his hands. Even though hae had no CB, on Jan 4, 1426 he attacked Naples
The Naples War
The first Naples War was a necassacary evil. In order to get at the Napoli CoT, Martinus needed to gain Naples's other province, Apulia first. He declared war, but didn't call in allies, instead prclaiming the Papacy's self-sufficiency. Naples called in her ally, Albania
The stage was set.
Next Chapter: The Naples War and the botched Milanese War
OOC Note: Sorry no screen shots, I couldn't get them working
I 'll continue to try
Okay in case you haven't already figured I'm doing the Papacy from my next AAR
Settings: Very Hard/Furious
Version: 1.05, EEP v1.1a
OOC note: In the EEP there is a CoT in Napoli, just to clear things up
In order to understand the country that we now live in today, we need to take a look back. History has almost as much relevance to the present as the present itself has. So it is crucial, therefore to examine the History of the Papal States. In particular the period between 1419-1820, for it is in this period that the foundation is laid for the country that we now know as the Roman Empire. Now I assume that you've all taken World History in primary school, so there's no need to talk about Papal History before 1419.
So without further ado, the tale begins
The Reign of Pope Martinus V
In order to examine the events that shaped our nation during Martinus's reign it is necesscary to look at the state of the nation on Jan 1, 1419
The Papal States, occupied a small three-province strip of land in Central Italy. To the north and west were the three small Italian city-states:Tuscany, Siena and Modena. To the north were two more small one-province states: Milan and Mantua. And finally to the south lay the two-province country of Naples. Even though on one hand the Papacy was very weak economically,on the other it did possess the most powerful army on the Italien penisula. As well it wielded the most influence. Venice, although many times more powerful than the Papacy economically, stayed for the most part out of Italian politics, it's attention more focussed on Balkan affairs. As well Genoa, the other major trading nation was content to remain, for the most part, neutral. So basically what all this boiled down to, was that there was a power vacuum on the Italian penisula. On paper, the Papacy seemed weak, but it was surrounded by even weaker nations and it was in a region where most of the other major European nations didn't exert much influence. The only other nation to exert influence in this region was Aragon by virtue that it controlled Sicily, Malta and Sardinia. But their attention was drawn toward the last stages of the reconquista. As well the Pope, being the secular head of Europe, could get away with more than the average European nation could in terms of expansion.
In 1419, the Papal treasury numbered 300 ducats. The three provinces it controlled were Romagna, Marche and its capital province Roma. Romagna produced large quantities of salt, Marche produced wool and Roma produced grain. The Papacy was a very aristocractic nation ( +8 )
was quite decentralized ( +1 ), was narrowminded (+4 ), was very merchantilistic (+8 ). Its military was defensive in nature (+4 ), more funds were diverted to the army ([COLOR=crimson+4)[/COLOR]) , Quality was empthasized more than quantity ( +6) Finally the Papacy was a nation of serfs ( +7) ) It's one army was the Army of the Holy Cross commanded by a Col. Asti. It numbered 10 000 men (9k inf/1k cav) and it's only navy was docked in Ancona Harbour, the Papal Fleet, commanded by Commodore Medicis and consisted of 10 warships.
So that was the nation. It's been said that every great nation needs a great ruler and Pop Martinus V was just that. ( 5/5/4 ). A very charismatic speaker, he lived to preach to the crowd. He was the first pope to think in the European mindset of the time, which was to conquer, pillage and do it all over again. All of the popes before him, never seriously tried to expand the Papal State's borders, but Martinus did. It was a revoluntinary idea to have a Pope who cared just as much about conquest as they did about prayer
It's hard to say whether he actually believed in the idea of a New Rome as much as he let on, or whether he was just trying to shock the normally staid and conservative men in the Senate. All accounts though portray him as a man of great vision and who had the unique ability to think both in terms of the present and in the future.
Martinus knew the first step in his dream was the conquest of the Italian penisula, and that would have to start with Naples. More specifically, the Napoli Centre of Trade. However his options were slighty limited, because the Papacy as a by-product of years of peace and neutrality had no CBs, or legimiate causes to go to war with any nation. Any expansion would be met with resistance both at home and aboard. So first, Martnus concentrated on improving the economony and the infrastructure of his country. To that end he centralized the government further ( =+2) ). He entered into the Liguria Accord which was a military alliance with the countries of Savoy, Genoa, Milan and Modena. His hope was to perhaps gain chances for war with other Italian countries. As well he knew that he would need allies if the time came. He also began sending merchants to the Napoli CoT, and soon established a foothold there. In Decemeber 1419, his hard work began to pay off as the infrastructure of the country improved. As well the research into naval pratices also improved ( Naval Tech =1 ).
He immeditaly started to reform the corrupt tax collection system by promoting tax collectors. Intially this plan met with resistance because of its cost, the fact that peasants would be taxed further, and that the Senators and other nobles that had been profiting from the corruption saw their second source of income dry up. However the thrill of more money excited them and the plan was approved. Immeditaly a tax collecter was promoted in Roma.
In Janaury 1421, a skilled new leader who was named Muzio Sforza emerged to take command of the Army of the Holy Cross which had been expanded to include 24 000 men (20k inf/4k cav).
As soon after a dominant position had been reached in Napoli, more merchants had been sent to Liguria. In Janaury 1422,after an incident at a party where a diplomat from the small German one-province minor Wurtemberg insulted the Pope's mother, or lack thereof, a legimiate cause to go to war with the offending nation emerged. However the country could not be reached or neither could their allies, so the CB remained unused. In August of 1423 trade resarch. paid off as Papal merchants found out a way to establish trading posts in unclaimed terrorities ( Tech Tech=2 ). In Janaury, Muzio died of complications from a goat kick to the stomach and the command of the army passed back to Col. Asti. In July of 1425 the infrastructure of the country improved again (IT=lvl 2 ). As apperciation for the advances in technology, the nobles chipped in and donated 100 ducats to the national treasury. Fianlly by Janaury 1426, Martinus had had enough of sitting on his hands. Even though hae had no CB, on Jan 4, 1426 he attacked Naples
The Naples War
The first Naples War was a necassacary evil. In order to get at the Napoli CoT, Martinus needed to gain Naples's other province, Apulia first. He declared war, but didn't call in allies, instead prclaiming the Papacy's self-sufficiency. Naples called in her ally, Albania
The stage was set.
Next Chapter: The Naples War and the botched Milanese War
OOC Note: Sorry no screen shots, I couldn't get them working
I 'll continue to try
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