Chapter 4, part 1 (1480-1490)
Since this turn is quite involved, I'm going to split it into two parts, each covering 10 years.
Chapter 4 – Part 1 (1480-1490)
As the year 1480 dawns, Aragon is in a good position. The civil war is over, we have provinces in France, Italy and North Africa, and a decent income.
Our foreign relations are mixed. Most Christian countries like us, but our two big neighbours, Castile (now calling itself the Kingdom of Spain) and France, dislike us intensely; relations are at -180 with both.
Luckily, we have a strong alliance of Portugal, Naples and His Holiness the Pope. This should ensure that our interests in Iberia and Italy are protected. Since our BB rating is at 0, there is little chance anyone will attack us randomly. We just have to watch out for Spain, who has cores on us, and an army of around 95,000! Our own army consists of a small cavalry force (5,000) in Sicily. We do have a good leader in the form of our king, Ferdinand II.
Basic statistics in 1480:
Land 4
Naval 2
Stability 2
Trade 2
Infrastructure 3
Manufactories 2 (1 refinery, 1 fine arts academy)
Inflation 0%
Badboy 0/43
Loans – 200d due in May 1480
Navy – 2 ships, 7 galleys, 4 transports
Army – 5,000 cavalry
My priorities for this turn were to vassalise Naples, which is our gateway to the rest of Italy, and, if possible to take Spain down a peg or two before they sail westwards to the New World.
With that in mind, I begin by arranging a royal marriage with Naples.
And also with Portugal, who will be a valuable ally if war with Spain breaks out.
I also begin raising an army on the mainland, since the 90-odd-thousand Spanish armies could crush us like a bug if they so chose. The rest of 1480 passes without much incident. I arrange a royal marriage with another Italian minor, Sienna, which has granted us military access at some point in the past.
To kick off the new year, Granada, obviously having a death wish, declares war on Spain:
And although we have no casus belli, I decide to join in. If possible, I want to prevent Spain getting the province, and annexing it for us instead. The -2 stability hit is worth it. Since we have King Ferdinand as a leader, he should be able to steal the siege for us (Spain is led by Queen Isabella, so no chance of them having a higher-ranking leader). King Ferdinand sails from Sicily to take command of the Spanish siege.
The people back home obviously miss him, however, as a revolt breaks out right away, plunging us back down to -3 stability, and causing trouble in the Pyrenees as I try to dislodge the rebels, without success.
Nevertheless, the siege goes well until, the next year, the citizens of Granada lead a revolt against us, and the mob succeeds where the Granadan armies failed. The Spanish armies and ours are driven from the province.
Emboldened by this, the cheeky Granadans demand tribute from us for peace!
Our land tech improves to 3 in this year, but I still can’t beat the rebels in Gerona, and end up fighting them on the plains of Catalonia instead. The rebellion lasts until September 1483.
In Foix, a rebellion causes the government to fall, and the new king decides to call himself King of Navarre instead. I arrange a royal marriage with them, but they join England’s alliance.
Meanwhile, in Granada, the sultan has been overthrown, and a peace treaty signed with Spain and us. Back to square 1. Then a second revolt breaks out, and another revolution seems likely.
I try to vassilize Naples in February 1483, but they decline. And again in March.
In September, another assassination occurs, and we lose Tangiers to the rebels.
I wait until they move on into Fez and siege the empty province. The Granadan rebels break the government for a second time in 1484, and move on to try and liberate Gibraltar.
In 1485, while I’m still dealing with the rebels in the pillars of Hercules, I get the option to try to reign in the merchant princes. It’s a tricky decision, as I can gain centralisation (good) but gain mercantilism (bad) and lose aristocracy (bad) for the cost of -2 stability. I choose to ignore, and take the centralisation and mercantilism hits. Stability is too low to take that hit right now.
Later the same year, Spain DOW’s Granada, breaking the truce early. I’m too busy fighting rebels in Gibraltar to do anything, and they annex Granada in 1486. Importantly, however, Spain is still at war with Tlemcen, which has control of Northwest Africa.
Naples rejects my third attempt to vassilize them in 1485. I try again at the end of 1486, and again they refuse, as does Portugal, in 1487.
Buoyed up by a diplomatic event, I try Naples for the fifth time in February 1488, but again they decline.
Turning my attention back west, I notice that by March 1488, Spain has most its armies in North Africa (still fighting Tlemcen), where they are dying in the deserts from huge attrition. I’ve finally got the rebels under control, and this could be our best chance. So I start minting a little money, raise some more armies, and in March 1488, declare war on Spain!
Thankfully my allies, especially Portugal, honour the call. Since Portugal has provinces on the Algerian coast, this only serves to keep Spain distracted in that region.
My plan was to use our navy to block the straight of Gibraltar, and strand most of the Spanish army in Morocco. That doesn’t exactly go according to plan, and our navy is sent packing early in the war.
On land, I begin by sending armies to Toledo (the Spanish capital), Murica and Navarre. There is only a small Spanish army in Cantabria. But the defeat of our navy allows them to land 10k in Andalusia. In July, Murica falls to us, and we have yet to fight a land battle!
I move that army to Granada, and while Spain lays siege to Tangiers, they continue to leave their 15k army in Andalusia without confronting me.
In January 1489, Spain makes peace with Tlemcen in exchange for Fez. Now I am worried their armies will return to the mainland. But instead they continue to siege Tangiers and Portugal’s cities in North Africa.
We take Toledo in the same month, and Spain sends a pathetic offer of ducats for peace.
King Ferdinand himself then leads our main army into Andalusia to fight the main Spanish army in Iberia. We win handily, and siege that province also. Portugal helps us to siege Estramunda.
Navarra (the province not the kingdom) falls in March 1489, and we continue into the forests of Cantabria. The Spanish have regrouped in Leon, and stand idly by while we siege both Cantabria and Asturias.
In May we capture both Estramunda and Granada. Andalusia has a small fortress and takes a little longer.
Spain now offers us two provinces for peace, but I sense we have them on the ropes, and I decline.
In November I choose to move the slider towards centralisation.
A revolt in Asturias sets us back a little, but we capture Cantabria in December, and King Ferdinand fights the big Spanish army in Estramunda, beating it and sending them back to Leon. We follow them.
We beat them there as well, and Castile falls just before Christmas.
Our armies are inspired to continue by the great literary work by Tirant lo Blanc. The stability bonus is much-needed.
Portugal makes peace in March 1490. Spain might finally ship those North African troops home now, but it will be too late. The Aragonese flag now flys over nearly all their cities!
Indeed, we take the small fortress in Andalusia in April
And the Spanish, with our warscore at 60%, make us a nice offer. Given that their are still armies in North Africa, and a large one cornered in Galicia, I take it. Five provinces, and the entire Eastern half of the peninsula are now ours!