A Tale of Two Germanies

I'm on a boat!!!!

@ Marco Oliverio: Thanks!
@ Tweetybird: Ahhhh, that makes sense. Don't worry though, we'll be seeing a LOT more of Britain later. Heh Heh Heh...
@ Enewald: CoughCoughCough The Habsburgs only go to Castile Indirectly in this timeline.
@ gabor: Good guess. As for Maria, as demonstrated by the Introduction to 'Ave Maria', her Impact on Europe is STILl being debated. Though she has, in recent years, pushed Olympia aside as the Patron Saint of Modern Feminists, and why not?

Bit shorter of a post, with the exception of the two 'incidents' mentioned below Iberia has been very stable, peaceful, prosperous, and a whole mess of other words that pretty much translate to 'Boring as all Get Out.' Whatever the Bloody Hell that Means...


The Reconquista lasted almost Eight Hundred Years from its beginning until its final completion, though in truth the Reconquista had effectively been won as early as 1238, when the Emirate of Granada pledged subservience to the Kingdom of Castile. However it would not be until 1481 that the last bastion of Muslim power would be driven completely from The Iberian Peninsula. Until this point, the Peninsula had remained relatively peaceful, and shortly after it, the peninsula would enter into the 'Pax Iberia' which would keep the Iberian Kingdom's from conflict with each other even until today.

Despite this, the period between the Fall of Constantinople and the final End of the Reconquista saw a dramatic political realignment which threatened to tear the peninsula apart.


This Political Change began far away in Italy, in the city of Napoli. There ruled King Ferdinand I of Naples, son of King Alphonso V of Aragon, and Heir to the Throne of Aragon itself. When his father passed away early in 1453, he was granted the title of King of Aragon, however he continued to remain in Napoli, preferring his home in the south of Italy to Barcelona in Aragon. This Angered the Nobles of Aragon, who lamented the loss of their power, so Ferdinand instead delegated authority and the crown of Aragon to his Uncle Juan, who became Regent and Governor of Aragon. Although this pacified the nobles for now, it would in the end almost destroy the Kingdom.

The risk came partly from without however, as in 1466, Prince Ferdinand of Aragon, the son of King Juan II, attempted to get himself made heir to the Throne of that Kingdom. In this he gained not only the support of his father the Regent, but also of his Wife Isabel, herself a Princess of Castile, who was very interested in securing a dynastic claim to the Crown of Aragon and its rich Mediterranean Holdings. The war itself would take many years, ending only in 1471, however the result of the war was already known only two years into it, when Prince Ferdinand, who stylized himself Ferdinand III of Aragon, fell in battle against his Cousin Ferdinand II.

At this point, what had become known as "Ferdinands' War" was over, Ferdinand II was the rightful ruler of the Kingdom, however the Nobles continued to oppose him under the leadership now of Juan, who stylized Himself King Juan II. Although without Castilian Support, and with Ferdinand II having been quite popular in Naples and thus having absolute loyalty from his homeland, the war was largely a show of Bravado. Despite this, Juan was allowed to claim the Crown of Aragon and name himself Juan II, although he remained nominally under the control of King Ferdinand II of Naples.

The remaining Reign of Juan and Ferdinand would be cordial and polite, with the Kingdom's virtually autonomous to persue their own ends, but allied together and supportive of each other. As Juan had no children of his own remaining, it was understood that the throne would pass to Ferdinand's Son Carles, born in 1454, upon Juan's death, and with Castile having shown itself so willing to interfere in Aragon's affairs, the two Relatives were more than willing to work together to assure Aragon-Naples a bright Future.

In Castile, there was further instability. Just two years before her expedition into Aragon at the Behest of her Husband, Isabel had proven herself willing to manipulate the succession of her own Home, as she supported and in many ways installed and ruled for her Brother Alphonso, former Duke of Asturias. Alphonso seized the throne from his Brother Enrique 'The Impotent' in 1464. What happened to his brother is not known, although it is believed that Alphonso forced Enrique into a Monastery to live out the rest of his days as a lowly Monk.

The Nobles of Castile were happy to be rid of Enrique, whose mismanagement of the Kingdom's Finances had brought it almost to the point of ruin. Almost immediately, Alphonso used that loyalty as he turned the Kingdom south towards Granada, the small emirate having used the chaos of the Civil War to declare Independence. This war lasted barely a few months, with Alphonso seizing Gibraltar from the Emirate and then demanding Granda's return to vassalge, not risking more war in the face of unexpectedly great aid from the States of North Africa against Castile.

From here, the Kingdoms of Aragon and Castile grow increasingly apart, as each pursue alliances outside of the Peninsula to counter the other. Castile reached forth their hand to France to, as Alphonso married the daughter of Louis XI, Anne of France, gaining Armagnac as a dowry in exchange for Castilian aid against Burgundy and Austria, while Austria countered with an alliance of its own, as both Emperors Friedrich V and Ferdinand I would sign alliances with Aragon-Naples, and Ferdinand would eventually promise the hand of his only daughter Cacilie to Prince Juan, younger son of Alphonso, younger brother of the Childless King Carles I.

Despite entering into several royal marriages with the other rulers of Iberia, Portugal remained steadfast in their desire to remain aloof Continental Matters, instead quietly pursuing a policy of exploration, trade, and colonialism. They succeeded in remaining outside of all wars in this era, and did not involve themselves in any affairs on the continent until their marriage into the house of Habsburg Valois, at which point they served as the bankroll of Austria, financing the Archduchy's wars in Germany.

Greater attempts to bring stability, and end this policy of 'Balance' between the Kingdoms lead directly to an attempt to reunify the Kingdoms in 1480. An Alliance between the two was signed on paper and in blood, as Princess Joanna, the only child of King Enrique, was given to King Carles I of Aragon. It was under these circumstances that Aragon joined Castile in their Conquest of Granada, seizing much of central Granada and claiming the land in the peace treaty, all supported by Castile, and in particular Isabel I of Castile, who may have sought to use her young cousin to strengthen Isabel's claim to the Throne of Aragon and lead eventually to Aragon being absorbed into Castile.


Sadly, when Carles I died in 1486, he remained Childless, passing the throne to his younger brother Alphonso VI. Castile chose this opportunity to dispute Aragon's claim to the Core of Granada, claiming that the peace treaty stipulated it was to be passed to Carles I as a token of good will from Castile, in the hopes of bringing the Kingdom's together. Alphonso refused to give up the territory without a fight, and the First Iberian War began in early 1488.

This war would last three years, and see the total defeat of Castile by Aragon. With Castile largely isolated, as France had recently fallen under the 'Burgundian Regency', and Portugal insisting on not becoming involved, Castile found itself completely at the mercy of the Aragonese and Neapolitan Armies. With both being bankrolled by Ferdinand and many of the Small German States who were Under Austria's Thumb, the Castilian Armies fell quickly. Aragon was further strengthened by Alphonso VI having been, by all accounts, a military genius. He emerged victorious from several battles in which he was hopelessly outnumbered.


Despite the possibility of forever destroying the Iberian Peninsula's stability, this war merely divided the peninsula and encouraged all Three Kingdoms to pursue their own agendas independent of each other, and so they did, with each Kingdom carving out their own Empire, with Castile Turning to the Americas, Portugal moving south both to the Southern Continent of the New World, and towards India and Africa, and Aragon moving first into the Mediterranean, and then subsequently South into Africa and eventually challenging Portugal in India.

In a fit of Irony, Aragon would give Castile Granada in the early 16th Century, in exchange for their assurance of neutrality when The Kingdom of Naples attempted to throw off Aragonese Dominance.


Sorry this is a bit late, but I've spent This week mostly either unburying myself from Snow or Working on a massive project that is in fact related to this AAR. What is that project you might ask? Well, have a Teaser Picture;

Definitely a Kingdom, Definite, Definitely a Kingdom.

@Enewald: Well yeah, I can't show you any more detail of the Family Tree of Europe or it would give away all of the plot.
@gabor: Technically Aragon never made it to India, however they had several African Colonies, so I'm going to say they went to India, and even to South-East Asia.

I am glad you asked about Navarre however, because this illustrates a point I wanted to remind people of. I am doing my best to write this as if I were the person doing the speaking, so in the case of Hugo Groitus, his history book is naturally colored by his own preconceptions. At this point, Navarre is utterly inconsequential and he is trying to go quickly so he can get to the Age of Exploration, which he views as vastly more important than some random miniscule Kingdom hidden away in the hills and which is, literally, famous for doing nothing at all. This is also why there is orphan such a disparity between how he describes a character and how the narratives show the same character.

And I really wanted to post this, because it drops vague hints like no other, because of 'when' it was written.


This Work is understandably dear to my heart, as my now beloved Navarre had graciously taken me in and protected me from the crimes done by the Emperor of Spain upon my people. I write this work now, having finally returned home, and bringing news to my compatriots of our friends in the North. The Year is 1945. The War in Spain is over, and our new friends turn their gaze North to Britannia, their constant enemy.

Yes, the Spanish Monarchy is dead, disbanded and replaced by a Federal Republic in the vein of our Liberator Europa. I am endebted to them and their soldiers, however they are not the subject of this work, I shall trust it to others to record their passage through history.

To be turthful, there are several books concerning the small Kingdom of Navarre, that land, that is now the Last Kingdom of Europe. However in my homeland, much of those works of so-called history are inspired not by a desire for truth, but by a hatred of Navarre, nad all that it stands for.

Navarre has always been a thorn in the side of the Kings and Emperors of Spain. Since its Declaration of Independence under its King Henry IV, also King of France at the time, that small land has remained virtually without its own defense, hidden high in the Pyrenees Mountains and shielding itself with the bodies of other nations. Its impact on history has been minimal, and that is exactly as the people of Navarre would prefer it. In truth, their greatest impact has been how others have been forced to move around them.

For many years Navarre was the only independent nation that maintained a policy of strict isolationism and neutrality. It was never as fully isolated as the Recently Isolationist American Republic; It Traded with its neighbors, it conducted diplomacy, and its Royals even married into the families of other monarchies, however the small Kingdom always remained aloof of matters of import.

Now, in the wake of this Second World War, it seems that several countries will adopt policies of perpetual neutrality similar to Navarre's; Portugal is isolating itself after its occupation by Spain, and it seems the Republic of Hungary will likewise declare neutrality in the wake of its role as a Beligerent in this regrettable conflict, however Navarre will remain the Last Kingdom of Europe, silent and watchful, not registerring the passage of time.

In Many ways Navarre is an anachronism in this modern age. It remains in essence a Feudal Nation, its military includes the Rank of Knight, and the King retains direct, legitimate power beyond simple influence as is the case in the Habsburg Kingdom of Italy. It maintains several conservative customs while embracing many liberal reforms, and the Navarran government is a paradoxical mixture of Constitutional Monarchism, Federal Republicanism, and Enlightenned Despotism.

This History of the Kingdom of Navarre that we shall concern ourselves with begins with the ascension of King Enrique (Henry) IV to the throne. Navarre had, at this point, been subject to the whims of the Kingdom of Spain as a dependency, however when Enrique succeeded to the Throne of France in 1594, he quickly set about freeing his home from Spanish Rule. With Spain embroiled in a Dispute between the Castillian and Aragonese Factions for Dominance over the Crown, Henry won a serious of decisive victories against an already beleaguered enemy that secured the territory Navarre had lost to Aragon, and gained the small Kingdom its Independence. With victories on the diplomatic arena, the Calvinist Henry also secured guarantees of Navarres Independence from Protestant England, and the German and Dutch Republics, as well as the Kingdom of Portugal, who was more than willing to see Spain Weakenned.

Even after losing the Throne of France to Charles VIII in 1610, Henry managed to maintain his Kingdom's Independence by playing the whims of the larger powers that surrounded himself off of each other. With his successors continuing this trend, by the Late 17th Century, all of the Major Powers of Western Europe had agreed to recognize Navarrese Neutrality in Perpetuity, and the small Calvinist Kingdom lived on in peace in the mountains between France and Spain, allowing this small group of people to develop virtually undisturbed by the ebbs and flows of Europe around them.

The Kingdom has since been but a spectator in Europe, leading to the land being generally ignored by historians, being famously not mentioned at all in Hugo Grotius' "The World of 1600", even when he discussed Henry IV, and this is just as the people of this Kingdom would prefer. They have remained neutral through all of Europe's great events. The Great Revolution passed Navarre by, they Remained Neutral during the World Wars, and lastly, they have resisted the tides of Fascism and a Resurgent Absolutism, walking the middle ground between Republicanism and Monarchism, combining both, and prospering from this.

As its foreign relations remain to this day rather slight and, in all honesty, uninteresting, we shall instead discuss the Internal Workings and History of Navarre, and it is my goal to attempt to determine how this small Kingdom has managed to combine so many radically different influences into a cohesive, functional, Modern Nation State.

We shall begin with 1610, when Henry became King Only of Navarre.



December 25, 1598;

I could not find him these past three days, I know not where he was, and he declined to elaborate, merely stating that he was 'conducting business which was most important to him.'

I finally met with him again today. I asked what he taught, as I said I would, however he did not give me any details beyond that he was 'A Prestigous Tutor.' No Matter.

However he also said he would be gone the next two weeks as well. The only reason he would give were that he was visiting an old companion currently staying at Innsbruck.

Vishaing! What does the Scouter say about his Thread Views?

@ Enewald: Briefly. The Religious Situation in France was volatile, and France went through like eight Kings in one Decade because of it, though that is still nothing compared to the Religious Situation in Lorraine and Switzerland (converted to Lutheranims, forced to convert to Catholic by Austria, Converted to Calvinism as soon as they could in protest, its bad... Still not as bad as Serbia, which has all of the Christian Denominations in it, plus a fair portion of Muslims and a light sprinkling of Jewishness, all heated at Balkans Degrees for Fifty Years until it becomes a nice golden brown.


Hungary's Fortunes seemed quite great at the fall of Constantinople. A Powerful Kingdom, far more powerful than the small Archduchy which claimed Dominion over its Crown, Hungary was well on its way to becoming one of the dominant powers in Europe. The Initial War with the Ottoman Empire would eventually cease with neither side moving against each other decisively, and leaving both divided by the smaller states of the Balkan Peninsula.


The Current King of Hungary was Ladislas Posthumas of Austria, also King of Bohemia and Archduke of Austria, at least in name. In Practice, the three crowns were ruled by other individuals and Ladislas Posthumas was little more than a figurehead monarch imprisoned in Vienna by his Uncle Friedrich V of Austria. In Bohemia, the regent was Jirí z Podebrad, while Hungary was administrated by Mátyás Corvin. Although Bohemia would break from Austria with Ladislas' death in 1457, where the Diet of Bohemia would unanimously elect Jirí z Podebrad as King, Hungary would remain under the Austrian Crown, with Mátyás Corvin being a personal friend of Friedrich V. However, Mátyás Corvin died in 1464 under mysterious circumstances, leading to a regency council of Hungarian Nobles. Although these nobles still pledged fealty to Friedrich V, the Two Crowns effectively separated, divorcing themselves from each other's affairs.

The split would become official in 1472, when King Jiri of Bohemia would, with Polish support, and taking advantage of Ferdinand's War for the Throne of Austria, force the Hungarian Nobles to elect his son Ulászló as King at the age of only Eight Years, effectively placing the Crown of Hungary under Bohemian Dominance. This state would be short lived however, and the young King would sit upon the throne for only three years.

His Deposition would be conducted at the hands of Lászlo Hunyadi, the son of the late Mátyás Corvin. Lászlo had become increasingly popular in recent years amongst the nobility, and had been very popular amongst the military as he had led the Hungarian Forces in the battle of Craiova, having been considered almost entirely responsible for that Army's Survival under the utter mismanagement of the Bohemian Generals. Despite being only 15 at the time of the battle, he had served honorably and fought on the front lines alongside his soldiers while the Bohemian General sat upon a hill far away and fled when his own troops routed. His Reputation with the nobles was strengthened by his initiative in occupying much of Wallachia and keeping that small territory from Ottoman Hands.

This Performance ensured that all of the Hungarian Army knew of and respected the young King, and in 1475 he made his move.

With Bohemia becoming embroiled in a civil war between the son of Jirí and a Papist attempt to return the Luxembourg Dynasty to control of the Kingdom, they were in no position to support the Hungarian Nobles against Lászlo, while the Kingdom of Poland, home of the Jagiellonian Dynasty, was currently putting down a large rebellion in Lithuania. Thus, in mid 1475, mere months after announcing his intent on the throne, Lászlo seized the crown and was quickly acknowledged as Lászlo V Hunyadi, King of Hungary, finally separating the Three Crowns of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia.

Lászlo's remaining reign would be largely peaceful, broken only by a short war against Bosnia. Although Ulászló, now older and under his own direction, would make several attempts on the Hungarian Throne, he was always repulsed and pushed back into Poland, who declined to Intervene against the increasingly powerful Hungary, ensuring that these limited skirmishes hardly affected the Hungarian Military. The short war with Bosnia likewise hardly affected the Hungarian Military.

Bosnia had upset the balance of power in the region and become aggressive, capitalizing on the devastation of Serbia at the hands of the Ottoman Turks, and annexing the small state into its realm in early 1488. Lászlo would not accept this, and demanded that Bosnia release the state at once, however the Bosnian King refused to comply, and war broke out in late 1499. However war is far too strong of a word to use. the Bosnian army had lost many of its men fighting Serbia, and was easily dispatched by the refreshed, and vastly larger and better equipped army of Hungary. Serbia was, after having been saved from Bosnia by Hungary, utterly dominated by the later in all things.


Ulászló would make one final attempt at the Hungarian Throne in 1492, however his army would be encircled outside Buda and destroyed, with he himself being executed by King Lászlo. This would severely damage Hungary's relations with their neighbors, as Bohemia and Poland would sever all ties with the King after his execution of one of their familial relations. Lászlo further isolated his Kingdom when he severed ties with Austria and demanded the Hungarian Diet repeal Ferdinand's Claim to the Hungarian Throne. Although the two states remained at peace, the damage had been done to Hungary.

Lászlo's remaining time on the throne would be spent attempting to counter and mitigate the advances of the Ottoman Empire, however these attempts would prove fruitless as Lászlo would refrain from outright war with the Ottomans, and even with the financial backing of the Kingdom of Hungary, the small Balkan states would not have the military capacity to fight the Ottomans. In Many places, the Kingdom of Hungary had actually hampered this ability, as Bosnia would be partitioned by the Ottomans and Venice following their devastation at the hands of Hungary.

Lászlo would die in 1502, leaving his strong, centralized Kingdom to his son Lajos II of Hungary, who was to be the last King of the Hunyadi Dynasty. Lajos II was far different from his father in terms of personality, but similar in ability. The Nobles, fearing any interference from outside powers, pledged their support to him quickly, all of this facilitated by Lajos having been active in the Hungarian Court for several years before his father died.

Lajos had been discontent under his father's rule, considering his father to have lost his nerve and grown complacent. From the very beginning of Lajos' term he began plans for another Crusade, and attempted to organize an alliance of Christian States to attack the hated Turk. Sadly, the proposed alliance never took shape. Friedrich VI, now Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire after the death of his Brother Leopold, showed no interest in the affairs of Hungary, while Poland-Lithuania instead preferred to keep itself ready for the attack the Polish King felt was surely coming from the newly formed Russian Empire.


Hungary remained isolated and alone, its only ally being the Kingdom of Bohemia, relations having been restored after Lajos II assisted the Bohemian King Ladislaus, the son of the late King Jiri, finally defeat his Rival Claimant in the person of Eduard of Luxembourg. However Bohemia's contributions remained incapable of saving the Kingdom however. King Lajos II, falling prey to a burst of bravery and zeal, fell upon the Ottoman Spears.

And Thus Died the Kingdom of Hungary.


August 7th, 1599;

My Patron was gone again when I went to see him, so I wandered through the university corridors for no more than two hours.

I distinctly felt as if I was being watched.


My Spell Checker Hated this Update.
The next Post, starting off our study of Poland, shall have more details concerning the Jagiellonian Campaigns for Hungary and Bohemia, as well as the Dynasty's Internal Dynamics and I hope shall be fairly long. Then its on to Russia, and from there we can return to the Ottoman Empire, see Suleiman I, and then its on to the Reformation! We're getting' There!

Hmmm, Suleiman appears in my Spell Checker...

Introducing yet another soon-to-be-a-powerhouse...

@ Enewald; Whatchoo got against Africa? Limousin's cool too. That being said, this update doesn't have antique maps in the background, is this preferable?
@ Tweetybird; Not Really, no. Although England is currently pretty stable following George's Victory in the Wars of the Roses, Likewise, with the exception of their brief feud, Aragon and Castile have gotten along pretty well, and Iberia hasn't seen a major war since the fall of Granada. Poland and Russia are also pretty stable, and once the whole Kalmar debacle ended Scandinavia turned pretty calm, or rather, their feuding turned a bit 'quieter'. Of course, Germany/Italy and France have enough chaos in them for all of the World....
Really, 1522-1560 or so was a very peaceful, stable period in European History.
@ Zitanier; Yes my Lord!



The Aragonese 'Empire' in the Mediterranean had been a well regarded fixture of the Political Climate of Southern Europe for a long time before it truly became Imperial. It was an Empire in the same vein as the Habsburg Empire, one founded not on conquest, but on blood and marriage. Through inheritance the Crown of Aragon gained what would always be its greatest Imperial Territory, the Kingdom of Naples in Southern Italy. Through Conquest it gained several islands in the Mediterranean, however these territories remained largely little more than peripheral territories of the Crown, ruled by local elites and governors appointed by the King from the local administration, with the various constituents of the Crown of Aragon being ruled as Client Kingdoms or Vassals rather than as territorial divisions within a single state.

As mentioned already, all of this changed with the Neapolitan Revolt in 1515. This war proved to the Current King Alphonso VII the weaknesses of the old Administration, and he promptly set out in reforming it into a more modern state. Alphonso vastly reorganized the Aragonese Crown, stripping the Neapolitan Nobles of their titles and rank until they swore Permanent Loyalty to The King of Aragon, forging the Aragonese-Neapolitan Union into an official confederation similar at first Glance to the already discussed Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Despite the return of their titles however, most government was actually handled by a system of Appointed Governors in the vein of the English King George Plantagenet's reforms. This ensured that Alphonso had a firmly controlled base of both finances and manpower from which to project his power more fully into his Kingdom. His Reforms had only begun however, as in 1522 Aragon began to construct its Empire Proper following its services in The Great Crusade.

Following the Crusade, Alphonso VII had become immensely popular. He had beaten back the dreaded Turk at minimal loss of life to his soldiers, secured several strategic ports in the Eastern Mediterranean, and formed a powerful alliance, more than powerful enough to stand against any single power in Europe. With this rush of good feeling and popularity amongst the peasants and lesser Nobility, Alphonso was given a veritable free hand to reorganize the Aragonese Bureaucracy according to his desires, and so he did. Sardinia and Sicily were incorporated fully into the Crown Lands as their Nobles were stripped of titles and forced to swear oaths of loyalty to receive them back. Nobles that did not do so saw their territory either retained by the King, or given to loyal Nobles in Naples.

Early Reforms were fairly limited, Alphonso realizing how quickly his popularity could fade and how strong the Nobles control over vast portions of both the Aragonese Army and Navy were, however these reforms received a great boon in 1530, when a short War in Greece would carry Alphonso to such great popularity amongst not only the peasants and local nobility, but too amongst the army for his personal handling of these wars, that Alphonso would feel confident enough to strip the greater nobility of their titles and form the first Proto-Absolute Monarchy in Europe.

This war was short, being the briefly mentioned Morean War which saw Aragon's annexation of the Greek Morea into their Crown Lands. Having personally beaten back the Turk with no support of arms from any other State in Christendom, not even the Knights of Rhodes, and killed their Sultan, Alphonso's fame reached new heights, his popularity amongst the Army of Aragon swelling to legendary proportions.

The Aragonese Occupation of the Morea was a gentle one, with the administration being conducted by Local Governors appointed by the King. Alphonso's tendency to travel through his realm ensured that even the people of the Morea, the most distant part of Aragon's new Empire, felt their Monarch's Presence. The Morean subjects of Aragon became one of the Empire's most important possessions, as they were granted religious freedom to practice the Orthodox Faith and local administration in exchange for loyalty and taxes. In addition, the stability offered by Aragon, in sharp contrast to the utter chaos gripping the Ottoman Empire at this point, would draw hundreds of thousands of Greek Citizens southward into the Morean Peninsula, further increasing the economic power of the small territory.

To thank his subjects, Alphonso constructed numerous public works projects in his Greek Territories, creating an efficient and thorough network of Roads and Fortifications along the land to police for Criminals and ensure the steady flow of coin through the land. A Series of massive Border Fortifications along the small stretch of land connecting Aragonese Morea with Ottoman Athenai ensured the people were well protected. Large Ports were constructed in the major cities, and Aragonese and Greek ships sailed side by side along the length of the Mediterranean, protected from the Infamous Barbary Pirates by the massive Fleet of Aragon.


When attacks against Aragon came from the Dread Pirate Hayreddin Barbarossa, the Bey of Algiers, Alphonso VII's son Alphonso VIII declared war upon the North African State, marching his forces into the land from his two Coastal Fortifications and seizing the city and surrounding countryside of Oran, the economic capital of Algiers. In the Process, at least according to Legends, Alphonso VIII 'The Emperor of the Sea' was able to outmaneuver and destroy the personal galley of Hayreddin Barbarossa himself, sinking it and its captain into the sea off the coast of Tunis. Although the facts surrounding the accounts are hardly definite, Hayreddin Barbarossa was never accounted for following this war.

With Algiers having been supported by Morocco, and Aragonese Armies having marched south from Portuguese Cueta to seize Tangiers and a large stretch of territory south of this land, Alphonso dictated Terms, claiming all of the territory he had occupied. Although this new shift in Aragon's attention towards the west initially worried Castile, a treaty of friendship was concluded with the marriage of Alphonso VIII's only child, his daughter Adriana, to the Castilian King Enrique V following the latter's wife's untimely death. This secured Castilian Neutrality in Aragon, with that Kingdom being loathe to become once more entangled in Continental Affairs when its Empire in the Americas was far more important to it, and gave Aragon its first foothold outside of the Mediterranean Sea.

Aragon would, under Alphonso VIII's direction, retrace the path's Portugal had taken around Africa and to India. Although its Empire in India would remain particularly small, being only a few small trading posts and some treaties with isolated lords, it would spend the next two King's Reigns feuding with Portugal for dominance, only stopping this feud as the Peasant's and Burgher's Revolution in Germany drew its attention to the support of its ally Austria. It expanded several small colonies in the Western Coast of Africa, however these remained small, poorly developed, little more than peripherals to Aragon's Empire, which would quickly be drawn back to the Eastern Mediterranean, where it would remain.


All this while, as Aragon's Ascension to Empire began, events in Italy and Germany were preparing a great Boon to Aragon that would further elevate it, even long after its acquisitions had left it.

The Great Crusade had not been kind to the Most Serene Republic of Venezia, and the republic had fallen into economic decline. Although it had secured the ports of call that it desired, it had lost two of its major trading partners in both the Ottoman Empire and the Mamluk Sultanate of Egypt. The Ottoman Empire of course Embargoed the republic for their part in the Crusade, however the Sultanate of Egypt, despite having no love of the Ottoman Empire, also embargoed Venezia, expelling, if not outright killing, Venezian Merchants from Alexandria and establishing total dominance over the Egyptian Spice Trade. The Loss of these two interests crippled the Venezian Economy, causing widespread desertion of Venezia's troops and forcing the disbanding of much of the Venezian Fleet. All of this was compounded by Aragon and Portugal's expeditions into India, which saw the opening of a new route through which the Highly Prized Spice could flow.

So Great was Venezia's Economic Troubles that the Doge was forced to Sell the Island of Corsica to the Duchy of Provence both to rid his state of an unimportant burden, but also to raise funds for the various public works projects necessitated by the City of Venezia's peculiar location. The true mark of Venezia's fall however, was the expansion of its Vassal Montenegro, which amassed its own small Empire along the Dalmatian Coast, being given more and more autonomy and authority over the Venezian Holdings there.

Despite its financial troubles, Venezia felt itself capable of a war with Aragon, and in 1557, declared war of trading rights in the Aegean, Venezia demanding that Aragon grant them privileges. Sure that Austria would not intervene to aid its ally due to its problems with the growing Reformation and the First Peasant's War, the Venezian Doge remained confident. Although these predictions would be true, the Doge had vastly underestimated the power of Aragon alone. Aragonese Armies marched from Provence, itself vassalized by Aragon diplomatically in early 1553, through Savoy and Austrian Milan, both granting full access and supplies, and into the Po River Valley and Venezia's Mainland Holdings, led directly by Alphonso VIII. While this went on, Aragonese Navies blockaded the Adriatic Sea, crushing Montenegrin Trade and forcing the Small Empire to bow to Aragon and swear Fealty to them. In the Aegean, the Venezian Islands were easily taken, with the exception of Crete, long a bastion of Venezian Power on the Sea.

This war devastated Venezia, and saw the forced secession of all of their Mediterranean Islands with the exception of the aforementioned Crete, and saw the Venezian Doge become a veritable puppet leader under the sway of Aragon.

It was with this final conquest that Aragon reached the Peak of its Empire.



There will be more information on Greece coming in the chapter entitled 'The Venetian Empire in Italy and Greece', however I can't post that until I have finished with "The World of 1600".

On that note however, to make this more interesting, I am outsourcing the part of Hugo Grotius to you, the Readers. If you want to figure out what's going on, you'll have to investigate. So start asking questions, and think of places that might hold clues. Your questions will determine what happens to him.

Today's Ideology is; Fascist

"I am angry about something but find it difficult to articulate exactly what it is."

@ Enewald: It wasn't, but The OE treated it like it was. They never, not once, attacked Aragon after they took the Morea. Ever.


Of the Dynasties of Europe in recent history, none has come closer to the Habsburgs in terms of pervasiveness than the Jagiellonians. At their height, the Jagiellonians controlled almost all of Eastern Europe.

At the Fall of Constantinople, the Jagiellonian Dynasty ruled over The Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania under the Kingship of Kazimierz IV. The Jagiellonians, although native of Lithuania and still remaining fond of that land, had become increasingly more Polish in their time as Kings of that Land, and they now made their court at Krakow, in the south of Poland, near the border of Hungary. In addition to these dynastic Holdings, Poland also claimed the overlordship of the Duchies of Mazovia and Moldavia, although the latter was virtually autonomous at this point.


In 1458, upon the request of the Prussian Cities of the Teutonic Order, including the Hanseatic City of Danzig, Poland invaded the Teutonic Order. Resistance proved greater than expected however, and the Teutons managed to hold off Poland until Sweden intervened. The war itself lasted almost a Decade and saw a great loss of life in both Prussia and Poland, though more so in the former. Much of the fighting went on in the lands of the Orders Teutonic and Livonian, with only brief skirmishes in Poland and a couple of quick Livonian Campaigns in Northern Lithuania. In the chaos, many Prussians fled the lands of the Teutonic Order, with most of them settling in Western Poland, or in Silesia, although some traveled as far south as Hungary.

Although the Teutonic Order managed to retain all of their territory, their lands had been devastated, many of the people had fled, and the Order was now barely capable of maintaining control of their lands after Polish Forces withdrew in 1466. The Polish army was severely damaged in this war, and King Kazimierz IV forever lost most of his legitimacy, ending finally in the Lithuanian Rebellion of 1474. With Poland in its weakened state, Moldavia attempted to deepen ties with Hungary, however would instead merely become easy prey for the Ottoman Turks.

After Poland gave aid to the Bohemian King in placing his son on the Hungarian Throne, aid which gained nothing tangible for Poland, both the Polish Sejm and the court of Lithuania had grown tired of Kazimierz IV. They gradually withdrew their support of Kazimierz, and refused to give him access to the Polish Mint, long a vital source of income for the Polish Kings. Without Finances or the loyalty of the army, Kazimierz was forced to simply sit by and watch his Kingdom withdraw from his control.

Attempts to gain Bohemian Support to restore Monarchical Power were hampered by the Bohemian Civil War which began in 1473. The Current king of Bohemia, Jirí z Podebrad, although he had a son himself, crowned King of Hungary, had watched his son's popularity sink rapidly upon his ascension to true control of the throne. King Ulászló I of Hungary had become infamous for his greed and temper, and the effects of his reign on Hungary had already become obvious, as that Kingdom quickly stagnated. Hungary's recent war with the Ottoman Empire sank his popularity further, and allowed the young son of Mátyás Corvin to seize the throne, removing Hungary from Poland's sphere of Influence. Thus, the Bohemian Diet forced Jiri to promise the throne to Prince Ladislaus Jagiellonian, who was well known for his religious tolerance and diplomatic ability, having served as Chancellor of the Polish Court for several years.

The Catholic Aristocrats of Bohemia had always disliked King Jirí for his sympathy to the Hussites, and had in early 1456 attempted to elect Mátyás Corvin, current Regent of Hungary, as King of Bohemia. Unfortunately for them, Mátyás died in early 1464, having never managed to claim the throne of Bohemia. Instead they threw their weight around one Prince Eduard von Luxembourg, who styled himself Eduard I of Bohemia. The ties of Eduard to both the Bohemian Succession and the House of Luxembourg are tenuous at best and shrouded in secrecy and misdirection, however he raised significant support amongst the Catholic Princes, promising to 'wipe the taint of Hussitism from Europe.'

Although numerous campaigns were launched against Ladislaus, few ever made any success due to the lack of support of any of the Temporal Princes surrounding the Kingdom of Bohemia. Although Bavaria and Ferdinand's Austria allowed passage of troops and arms, they declined to finance the war, or support it in any further way, while Ladislaus was able to draw financial and military support from Poland, and many of the northern German States.

In the beginning of the war, the situation was largely inconclusive, with Ladislaus gaining no support from Poland due to the Civil war prompted by August II against his father. August II had reigned as Grand Duke of Lithuania for several years before challenging his father, and had become very popular with that state and even the Polish Sejm. In 1474, he made his move, attacking what few forces remained loyal to his father and claiming the throne. Although some of the Polish Sejm supported Kazimierz IV, the little portion of it which remained loyal was capable only of delaying the inevitable. Mazovia declared their support for August early in 1476, and the city of Krakow fell in 1477 after a protracted campaign in Southern Poland.

Kazimierz remained king in name until his death in 1488, however August II was king in practice. And yet, the war had taken a terrible toll, not on the Kingdom itself, fighting had been limited and mostly confined to small skirmishes, however Royal Authority had been badly damaged, as the Sejm seized further control of the finances and made wide use of the guarantees of privileges promised by August in return for aid. Lithuania remained largely a crown demesne, however almost all of Poland at this point was controlled by Nobles and Aristocrats. Thus, this period is sometimes referred to as 'The Lithuanian Exile' as August spent much of his time there and left Poland largely to its own devices out of necessity.

With his position as King established, he provided what support he could to his brother Ladislaus in Bohemia, and because of this the Bohemian Civil war temporarily ended. He Provided scanty finances for Ulászló's attempts on the Hungarian Throne, refusing to give more than the sum necessary to hire a token force of mercenaries. Instead, August's remaining life would be spent on attempts to centralize the Monarchy and restore Royal Authority in Poland proper.

Sadly, these would be handled without the grace necessary to weave around the Polish Sejm, and his attempts would merely tarnish his reputation and damage his popularity. August's final act was to marry his daughter, his only child, to Ulászló and finance one last attempt on the throne of Hungary, hoping that the popularity from securing vast territory for the Crown of Poland would enable him to push through the reforms he desired. Instead, Ulászló fell in battle, and this final defeat would prompt the another coup, thus ending August II's reign in the same way it began, as his brother Stefan, Grand Duke of Lithuania would revolt against August and seize the throne from him.

Unlike the coup of August, Stefan remained lacking in popularity. In Poland, he was infamous for his firm grip on the affairs of his Ducal Territory, and this trait, which had brought him great popularity when he was fighting royal authority alongside the other nobles, now made those nobles fear any potential reign of his. He had proven himself to be just as capable as his brother was incapable, and this worried the nobles, who rather enjoyed having a 'King' confined to a backwater Grand Duchy far from the Royal Court. Despite these worries, Stefan was able to secure a small coterie of friendly nobles who he could trust to grant further autonomy to, and who he also promised a vast expansion of lands into territory controlled by other nobles.

When the war began, most of the nobles of Poland expected him to be quickly defeated as the nobles united behind August to preserve their puppet king, however he gained two surprising sources of finances in addition to his vast and wealthy lands in the south of Poland, including the city of Krakow itself. The first source of finances was Bohemia, who gave him finances out of growing fear of Eduard, who was quickly building a more powerful Catholic Alliance at the same time that the Northern States of Germany were withdrawing their support in the expectation of a coming war with Denmark. Stefan promised to aid Bohemia against Eduard in exchange for aid against August II, and King Ladislaus was more than willing to oblige and aid his brother.

The Second source of aid was more surprising, as Lászlo V of Hungary pledged a large supply of both soldiers and finances to Stefan in exchange for a permanent withdrawal of all claims to the Hungarian Throne. This term was acceptable to Stefan, and Poland would turn its gaze from Hungary for the whole of the next Century and beyond. In his personal writings later in his life, Stefan made it clear he was little interested in gaining a hold in a land that stood before an extremely powerful and apparently unbeatable Turkish Empire.

Despite this support, this Second Polish Civil War was carried to Stefan's Victory by his own personal ability and little more. He remained numerically and financially in the weaker position, however was able to secure several decisive victories throughout both Poland and Lithuania, including the battle of Warszaw, through which Stefan annexed the small duchy into his personal holdings, eventually establishing his court in the city to better oversee his vastly increased realm. He eventually cornered his brother at Memel attempting to flee by ship, and his brother fell in battle against Stefan's armies. Without August to claim the throne, the remaining nobles attempted to ally against Stefan, however by this point he had gained control of Lithuania in addition to his territory in Poland and his own allies, and the remaining war merely saw Stefan's collection of titles to distribute increase in size.

The Polish state emerged from this war vastly stronger, as Stefan had managed to almost completely undo all of the decentralization of his brother's reign, even going as far as to make the Polish Crown Hereditary. In the end, almost one third of the Polish Sejm was killed in this war. All remaining nobles were either personal friends of his, or so vastly marginalized that they were incapable of raising significant forces against him. Royal Titles without heir or held by rebellious nobles were reorganized and issued largely to the friends and family of the loyal nobles who had supported Stefan in the war, with only token titles being given to the surviving rebellious nobles, either through returning only small and poor titles to them, or by granting them ducal titles over nobles personally allied directly to Stefan. Many of the nobles so returned found their realms suddenly no longer contiguous, or surrounded by their personal rivals who they had been given nominal rulership over.

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was officially dissolved and incorporated into the Polish Crown, with much of its territories being administrated directly by Stefan. Central Lithuania instead saw another of Stefan's personal friends being given the title of Regent of Lithuania, and acting as the King's Representative. The Lithuanian territory closest to the nascent Empire of Muscovy and the Khanate of Crimea was reorganized into a series of Royal marches Overseen by Governor Generals personally appointed by the King. These Marches lacked any sort of rigid definition to their borders, fluctuating based on the personal opinions of Stefan and his regard for the Governor General in question.

The degree to which Stefan exerted personal control over his realm has caused current theorists in Government Concepts to consider the Polish Kingdom under Stefan I to be the first Absolute Monarchy of Europe, although it is still debated whether the Kingdom ever fully made the transition, as Stefan achieved his absolute control not by abolishing the Feudal Practices, but rather by expanding them into a tangled web that tied his nobles to him so strongly such that they could not fight against him.

However, Stefan's ambition would not be content merely with the unification and absolute control over Poland, and in 1503 he attacked the ailing Teutonic Order, as Sweden was still recovering from its war with Denmark, and the Knights thus found themselves without any sources of aid. With the devastation of the first Teutonic War having caused much of their populace to flee, the Order could mount little more than a token resistance, and was quickly defeated in Late 1503, being partitioned into Royal and Ducal Prussia, with the Teutonic Order retaining temporal control over Ducal Prussia, while Stefan further partitioned Royal Prussia between himself and loyal nobles, although he ensured the rich city of Danzig and its surroundings would go to him, thus vastly increasing the wealth of his Kingdom.

In addition to this, the city of Riga would also be annexed into Poland. The Livonian Order would escape partitioning, although plans for such have been uncovered in the Royal Library at Warszaw, and would instead lose just a small portion of land that would connect Poland to Lake Pskov. Papal meddling and a guarantee from both Muscovy and Sweden would ensure their survival, with Stefan not currently willing to fight either of the two states.


Diplomatically, Stefan largely isolated himself as Hungary did. Ties with that Kingdom were severed once Stefan secured the throne, and both Kingdoms turned from each other, while Bohemia would remain Poland's only other major Ally. Stefan was loathe to become embroiled in the twisting politics of The Holy Roman Empire, and instead spent his remaining time, now that avenues of expansion were cut off in all directions, instead attempting to strengthen the internal workings of his Kingdom in the face of a rapidly growing Muscovite State. Thus, when Stefan died in 1510, there was little impact on Europe.

Stefan's only son Szymon I spent two years under the regency of Stefan's good friend Jan Zygmunt, who would stay on even after the regency had been dissolved as an advisor and tutor of Szymon. Szymon's reign would see the Kingdom remain stable and peaceful, with only a brief attempt to gain dominance over the Crimean Khanate disturbing this peace, and ultimately ending in Polish Defeat as the Ottoman Empire applied pressure for the continued independence of the Khanate.

Szymon would officially annex the remains of the Teutonic Knights into Poland, in the end scattering the order throughout his lands and into Bohemia, although many of them remained in Prussia and formed a valuable core of Heavy Knights under Szymon's command, retaining a great deal of autonomy.

Despite appearing to be a talented leader and gifted diplomat, Szymon would sadly fall to an unspecified illness in 1519, leaving his son Aleksander at the age of only 13 years, and causing the Polish Interregnum. Jan Zygmunt would again take control of the Kingdom for the young King, who would dive into his studies with a great energy. Unfortunately, the first test of his reign would happen long before he himself came of age, as the Regent of Lithuania, a personal friend of Szymon, would make charges against Jan of having poisoned Szymon in order to regain control of Poland. Many of the Governor Generals of the Lithuanian Marches had also become dissatisfied with Jan, who declined to fund them as they required, and so these forces rebelled against the crown in early 1520.

With much of the Polish Army having been given to the command of these Governor Generals to defend against the growing Ottoman and Muscovite Threat, this Civil war looked as if it would be quite protracted. Neither side was able to make significant progress against the other, with much of the old Grand Duchy of Lithuania coming under Rebel Control, but with Royal Poland remaining largely under allegiance to Jan.

All of this had been exacerbated by the Great Crusade, which Poland had financed despite its crisis, draining the Kingdom of finances. Furthermore, the weakened state of the larger portion of the Polish Nobility prevented them from effectively aiding the Regent. As neither side was particularly willing to move decisively against the other, the state of affairs persisted for three years until Aleksander claimed the throne and dismissed his tutor Jan in 1523.

Upon his ascension to the throne, the rebellion largely collapsed, with generals swearing allegiance to him upon the dismissal of Jan and the latter's acceptance of retirement, thus the war drew to a close quietly and without notice. Territory that had been controlled by the rebels was added to the Lithuanian Marches by order of Aleksander, nearly doubling the size of that portion of the Crown Territories.



No Date Given;

I saw a woman at the University today, standing silently in the hallway towards my Patron's Office. She glanced at me briefly as I approached, and I felt an infernal terror come over me. I am not one disposed to panic and flight, however from her, I fled, as she watched me through her hair.

I don't even remember what she looked like.