"Machiavelli : Europe Arising", an MP RPG AAR

Smirfy · Jun 7, 2003

[color=0087]Portugal 1540[/color]

The Knights of St Vincent

IV.MONSTEIRO DE JERONIMOS

Luis and Balstasar entered the through the great oak doors of the Monsteirro De Jeronimos, this was a fabulous building designed and constructed by none other than Diogo de Boytac by order of King Manuel who’s mortal remains lay in the marble walled chapel to the left of the great hall. The irony of their momentous task was not lost on the pair. This would be the first place that the Knights would draw blood and it was to be in the temple of their founder’s ideals. Located in Lisbon on the banks of the Tagus dedicated to Santa Maria de Belém this edifice now had become the stage for the Knight’s dark plot.

They handed the invitation to the morrow’s inauguration service to the friar at the door who instructed a monk to show them to their lodging’s for the night. Conspiracy waited for the approaching figure of Father Bernaldo de Goes who passed by them silently as they moved through the Great Hall to their room to become action, crossing himself as he passed them by, a pre-arranged signal that the assassination was on, a fatal benediction showing the die had been cast.

Their room was small but comfortable and probably a Priests room when it was in everyday use. But for now the majority of the Brothers had temporarily been re-housed in other religious establishments throughout the city to accommodate the large array of guests from all over the country, Princes of the blood, Cardinals, Dukes, Nobles, Merchants, and Notables from Portuguese society. Dignitaries all assembled here for the dedication of the Jesuits as an official order of Portugal by King Jao III. Only a cadre of monks and priests remained to look after the guests during their stay at Jeronimos, and the guest of honour, Peter Canisius on his week’s stay before his appointment as leader of the Jesuits in Portugal, Father Bernaldo de Goes had been assigned to those duties.

Discipline to drill until a frightening efficiency is attained ensures that doctrine is carried out and dogma makes certain that the righteousness of the cause is never questioned. Basing their Order on these military principles the Jesuits had built a formidable machine in their battle against heresy, an overwhelming phalanx to swamp the ignorant, the isolated, and the weak. But when the intelligent become organized the free thinking become a deadly predator and the disciplined, the drilled, the indoctrinated and the dogmatic become the assailable, the vulnerable, and the weak! Peter Canisius did not realize it but he was being stalked by a predator, his routine, the model of piety was religiously observed by father Bernaldo de Goes during his stay prior to the ceremony. Flesh began to form on bones of his plan.

Each night after Peter had prepared for bed he went to the statue of the Virgin at the end of the corridor in the cloister beyond the kitchens to pray alone whether to show his dedication to God for his acolytes or through deeply held religious convictions De Goes did not care for he had seen the Jesuit’s work in other countries and would not have them visited on his beloved Portugal. This routine became the nexus on which De Goes plan would hinge.

That evening the guests assembled in the great hall for a magnificent feast. Peter was given free reign to lead the conversation that sometimes bordered on dictation, illuminating the role the Jesuits would play in Portuguese society. If Balstasar and Luis had doubts about their impending actions Peter had himself dispelled them. Luis even managed an inward laugh at his nonsense “This man finds heresy like you would find trees in a forest” Luis and Balstasar went easy on the wine lest their heads be clouded It suited their plans though that the other guests slaked their thirst with an abandon that did not befit a church, so they would sleep soundly! Though they were reassured that Peter abstained so keeping a clear head for tomorrow and ensuring his routine would be carried out as usual. At about midnight the guests broke up and retired to their rooms Luis taking one last look at Peter confidently measuring the man to seal his fate.

Wyvern · Jun 8, 2003

Divorce and domesticity -
Or why England turned Protestant Part 1

Will history look kindly on King Henry? An able monarch without a doubt, as he matured he had consolidated his position with the Habsburgs, giving them the Caribbean as their playground in return for lucrative colonial rights elsewhere.

Something troubled Henry though, and it wasn’t the Spanish. Nor was it the French or the Danish and Swedish, both of whom were forever seemingly at each other’s throats since the breaking of their union. King Henry would attempt to patch up their grievances, but neither was in the mood to listen to reason.

No what troubled Henry was internal, in the very heart of his court. He wanted a son, and Catherine of Aragon was clearly not going to produce one.

Catherine of Aragon

Oh he had a daughter called Mary, but everyone knew it took the firm hand of a man to rule. What woman could deal with the troublesome barons or the wily ambassadors from France and Spain?

The King therefore took to conniving with Cardinal Wolsey, Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the Catholic Church in England. Years ago he had arranged for Papal dispensation to allow for Henry’s original marriage to Catherine. Catherine had been previously married to Henry’s elder brother, but he had died soon afterwards and Henry’s father had still been keen at the time to cement an alliance with Spain via the daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand. There were some who frowned upon such a union claiming it was illegal, and Henry seized upon this loophole to have the marriage annulled by the pope.

Cromwell had been against it, claiming it best to use this opportunity to distance England from the church in Rome, but Henry stood by Wolsey and despatched him to Rome. It was a long and arduous trip in those days and took many rounds of negotiation, but Papal approval was finally gained, resulting in much honour for Wolsey and loss of influence for Cromwell within court. Catherine objected of course, appealing to her relatives in Spain and Austria, and even the Pope himself, but the Pope was a hard man and her relatives obviously cared little for her as all stated their contentment with the situation. Catherine was therefore divorced and Henry shortly after married his mistress Anne Boleyn

Anne Boleyn

Henry soon realised Anne was no better, another daughter called Elizabeth? What did he need with another daughter? But how could he be rid of her? The Pope would hardly authorise a second divorce, at least not without dragging his feet over it and time was no ally to Henry. He considered other more brutal schemes, a mock trial perhaps against the Queen accusing her of adultery, but he knew Cromwell and his faction in court would not support such a scheme. He was therefore forced to bully Wolsey once more and despatch him to Rome, again to seek Papal approval for a divorce whilst Thomas Cromwell whispered persuasively in his ear about another approach.

Wyvern · Jun 8, 2003

Wives and more Wives -
Or why England turned Protestant Part 2

Weeks passed into months, months into the ending of the year and still no news returned from Rome. The words of Cromwell began to take on more meaningful purpose. Why should the English King need Papal approval for a divorce? Appoint Cromwell as Archbishop he said – an Anglican Archbishop, and he would grant Henry his divorce as well as silencing the growing disquiet amongst the people.

And so it was that in the summer of 1531 as Cardinal Wolsey returned to English shores claiming he’d been unable to even gain an audience with the Pope that King Henry stripped him of his rank and position on the grounds of treason and appointed Thomas Cromwell Archbishop of Canterbury. From his new found position, Cromwell would grant Henry his divorce as well as sanctify his marriage to Jane Seymour, the woman it is claimed by many Henry loved above all others, even as she died bearing him his treasured son, Edward.

Jane Seymour

At such news, relations with Spain were strained and their alliance formally annulled. For many years England found herself alone in the world. Denmark and Sweden wanted good relations, but neither were prepared to put aside their own grievances towards each other. France also wanted friendly relations, something Henry had always striven for, yet France also wanted the city of Calais, last vestige of English presence on the mainland of Europe. Henry would make a number of offers to sell it to Francois but as of 1542 all such negotiations had so far broken down and come to naught.

Henry had married twice more by 1542. Firstly to Anne of Cleves, a short lived affair to the German princess and one made of political expediency above all else at the suggestion of Thomas Cromwell, part of his long running efforts to bring England more closely into the Lutheran fold.

Anne of Cleves

When the anti-Catholic alliance Cromwell predicted failed to materialise, Henry soon had the marriage annulled and went on to marry Catherine Howard.

Catherine Howard

Her adulterous affairs became the talk of the Royal Court, and as we enter the early days of 1542, the betting man does not place long odds on her continued good health.

unmerged(15967) · Jun 8, 2003

[COLOR="DDBB99"] Papal States 1520-1542 [/COLOR]

The Papal expedition in the Balkan war took a very bad turn when the vile Turks began their advance on the Papal troops and the treacherous King Lajos II of Hungary refused to let them retreat into his territory. The army tried to evade the infidels and burn as much of their ground as possible to hinder their war efforts, but eventually it was surrounded and mostly destroyed. Only 1800 men should return to Italy. At the same time the navy was beaten several times by vastly inferior Genoese fleets. Evidently the city was in league with the devil and most likely also responsible for Francois’ aberrations. Protected by Genoese sea superiority he sent a large Cavalry force of about 30k men to Italy and sieged the Eternal City itself. The Holy Father could escape and tried to raise a relief force, but unfortunately Spain was inable to send any help through the Genoese waters. Finally a papal army of matching size was gathered and tried to break the siege on Rome, but the devil fought with the French and they won the battle without significant losses. Shortly thereafter Rome surrendered. Fortunately Spain and France agreed to a peace settlement soon so that the French occupation of Rome was rather short. Since Lajos II had already betrayed the Christian alliance and signed an agreement with the infidels Italy was at peace again now.

Pope Adrianus VI 1522-1523

On march 2 1523 the world stood still when the impossible happened and Martin Luther and his followers openly defied the Holy Church. The wicked kings of Denmark and Sweden soon followed this betrayal and joined the heretics while Henry VIII of England inquired whether his marriage with Catherine of Aragon could be annulled. After having been informed on the circumstances the Pope duly agreed, but strangely Henry waited several years until he finally sent her away.
Adrianus never truly recovered form the shock of the heretic explosion and passed away 6 months after the event.

Pope Clemens VII 1523-1534

More and more German princes turned away from the Holy Church and the Emperor was unable to stop them. At least in Poland the heretic rebels could be beaten back with a little papal help. Henry VIII seemed to be unhappy with his new wife as well, but he never even bothered to present any legal arguments for a annullation of the marriage and instead instated a church of his own. Obviously the man cannot be satisfied.

Pope Paulus III 1534-1549

1538 saw the incorporation Tscany and Mondea into the Emperors direct rule. Karl V now owns all of Italy except Venice, Genoa and the Papal States. The Holy Father is not pleased with this development, but the fate of Christianity outweights the hope for Italian independence and the Emperor seems to be the only one who can hope to reverse the steady advance of the infidels and heretics.

Smirfy · Jun 8, 2003

[color=0087]Portugal 1540[/color]

The Knights of St Vincent

V. ATÉ BREVE

“It is time” Luis said. Balstasar adjusted his cloak so that not a feature was showing and he stole out the door of their room moving without a sound from shadow to shadow dodging the flickering light cast by the waning candles. Luis waited that was the hard part for he had become transformed to activity by the conspiracy. The wait seemed like an eternity then the sign! Three gentle knocks on the door, he started to count rhythmically tapping his foot to keep time.

The monks in the kitchens were startled by a crash! Three remained there on duty in case the illustrious guests in their wing should want for anything during the night. Seconds later Father Bernaldo De Goes entered “Please help me I’ve dropped a chamber pot in the corridor, bring rags and mops…… quickly! Before Peter goes to pray” The four set off immediately to the scene of the accident and readily set to work mopping wiping and picking the broken china from the remains of the day. “Dear Lord!” one of the monks muttered only auditable to the four. The shadow of Peter Canisius loomed large down the corridor past them, first showing his distain at the scene with a glare, then turning his head in the other direction as the smell reached him, and finally shaking his head as he continued to his prayers “Great we are for it now!” one of the monks stated the work slowing as the thought of reprimand by a Jesuit loomed.

A couple of minutes passed and the quartet worked on with less and less dedication as the unpleasantness of the job took hold. Then footsteps! Another silhouette appeared in the corridor, and drew closer to become instantly recognizable to the monks. It was Luis de Camones! The feeling of insecurity instantly left the monks to be replaced with one of acute embarrassment here was the foremost writer and poet a face that adorned a thousand prints creator of Os Lusiadas, prose that every Portuguese subject held dear to his heart, and there they were; on their knees; cleaning up excrement. He nodded and said ”Good evening brothers” and passed on in the same direction as Canisius. His politeness doing little to ease their deep embarrassment.

Bernaldo shook them up “Right that’s that lifted, you get some boiling water and w’ell scrub this down to get rid of the smell.” The remaining two monks waiting with Bernaldo as the other set off. A couple of minutes past and Luis walked briskly back past them not acknowledging them this time, and in what seemed like not a few seconds more Peter Canisius returned also, growling “This better be gone by morning!” Bernaldo whispered “I’ll be seeing you” to himself as Peter vanished up the the corridor to his chambers. The monks sighed and went back to work. In a few more minutes they were done and as they gathered themselves a figure, featureless, fully cloaked glided by startling them following Peter into the darkness. “I’ll be glad when these guests are gone” said one “aye” the reply went up in unison from the monks as they made their way back to the kitchen with a lethargic gait, mentally and physically exhausted.

Balstasar entered the room removing his cloak. “How did your end go?” Luis greeted him with impatient tone. “Fine Luis, Fine” Balstasar replied in a calming voice. Luis unmoved by the soothing tone paced round the tiny room recounting every detail of the plot till satisfied that everything had gone to plan then stopping abruptly “Well Balstasar my friend we are in mine and Gods hands now!”

kurtbrian · Jun 9, 2003

The reformation and the Count's feud

Frederik I now turned his attention inwards and let the outside world do whatever it felt like. Martin Luther had begun preaching for a break form the pope, and his moneygrubbing cardinals, and this was something Frederik could reate to, he had been increasingly unhappy with the way the pope cried for larger and larger donations and the christianity that Luther Preached was soemthing that suited him, not to mention almost the entire danish population. Denmark converted to protestantism in 1524, the first country in the world to see the light. The arch-enemy Sweden, England and various german princes soon followed. Frederik I passed away quietly on the 10th of april 1533, and now the king was called Christian III.

The peace in the country was shortlived. The old hatred between the nobles and the merchants surfaced again with the new king. He heavily favoured his aristocracy and soon groups of old military officers and merchants began to work for a restoring Christian II as a king. He had spent the last years in imprisonment in sønderborg castle, awaiting a oppurtunity to escape.

This internal strife led to, what has later been called, the count’s feud. The forces of Christian III and Christian II battled eachother for 4 long years, peasent rebellions, famines and pillaging armies whas the everyday life of Denmark in those years, as it had been many times in the past. In the end Christian II was victorious and various acts, was passed to ensure merchants trading priviliges and some of the birthrights of the nobles was removed. Christian II then set out on th giant projet of restoring the danish nation and its selfesteem, which had suffered a lot after the dissolving of the union.

Peter Ebbesen · Jun 9, 2003

The House of Habsburg 1520-1542

The Hungarian Coward

In the third year of the the war, 1520, the situation was still fluid. Both Imperial and Turkish forces had suffered victories and reversals in turn, and the front swayed back and forth in a gruesome trial of attrition. Following the third battle of Pest, the Ferdinand began preparing for a truce as it was obvious that the situation was stalemated. While the Turk in between Imperial counter-attacks did control the eastern parts of Hungary, he had little hope of holding them, and, while the Russian invasion of Lithuania sapped most of the Polish war effort, the French had been stymied in the west as the Emperor negotiated for an end to the French claims to Italy in return for Rousillon, while armies stood poised to invade.

Third Battle of Pest

As winter approached, it seemed likely that a diplomatic solution to the Italian question could be found, and peace on the western front seemed likely. The Emperor began preparing to ship Spanish armies to the east, to bolster Ferdinand's armies and force a truce.

The Emperor and his brother, so astute in diplomacy, had nevertheless failed to consider one important variable: The cowardice of Lajos II of Hungary. Fearing the Turk, and under pressure by his stampeding nobility, he signed a treaty in secret with the Turk in the summer of 1521 ceding Wallachia, Croatia, and Banat to the Sultan, and then asked the Imperial forces to "Return whence they came". The Emperor was furious and Ferdinand's rage was ice cold, but they restrained their wrath and withdrew the Imperial armies. Likewise, the brave Poles, the Venetians, and the Papal Corps were withdrawn. An eerie peace settled over Hungary, as Lajos II rejoiced that he was safe from the Turk. In fact, as was obvious to all astute rulers, the only thing he had managed was to ensure the utter destruction of his nation at the hands of the greedy Sultan, Süleyman I the Great, for next time he fought, he would fight without the support of the Emperor.

The Political Acumen of Ferdinand of Austria

The Emperor, tiring of strife in the east, denoted his brother Archduke Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian domains and granted him widespread authority in Austria following the war with the Turk, dividing the hereditary lands and setting the stage for Ferdinand's political manipulations.

Ferdinand I, Archduke of Austria (1520-1564), King of Bohemia (1526-1564)

King of Italy (1538-1564), Emperor (1556-1564)

Though often overshadowed by his elder brother in the histories, the impact on the history of Europe of Archduke Ferdinand should never be underestimated. From the day he assumed power in Austria, his main goal was to strengthen the Habsburg dominance over central europe, both politically and culturally. To this end, he began weaving a net of alliances, none so strong as with the Italian city-states of Mantua, Modena, and Tuscany, which were his vassals. Having been brought up in Madrid, Ferdinand had little love or understanding for the Germans under his rule and preferred spending his time in the royal castles of Milano and Vienna, attended by a more refined court speaking Italian, French, and Spanish.

Thus Archduke Ferdinand came to be considered a godsend by the troubled people of Mantua. Francesco II had ruled well for 35 years and had aligned his tiny nation with Austria early in his reign as a way to secure protection from Venice, but finally he succumbed to disease in 1519. Under his rule Mantua had prospered and the ties with Austria strengthened. His successor was Frederigo II, the unfortunate, who fell rallying the forces of Mantua against the Turk in Banat, February 1520. Mantua was without ruler, and without a designated heir. The spring of 1520 saw the top tiers of Mantuan society thinned as the nobles engaged in an unseemly and often mortal power struggle, and the prospect of civil war reared its ugly head, as the Mantuan army returned from the war with the Turk and began splitting along partisan lines. In desperation, the lower nobles turned to the Archduke Ferdinand for help, rallying the war-weary citizens to his name. Moved by this plea, the Archduke acquiesced and the annexation of Mantua was a reality.

After quickly putting an end to the feuding with a minimum of bloodshed, the Archduke made place for a Mantuan on his permanent council, strengthening the Italian position.

The Crown of Bohemia

Through an advantageous marriage to a princess of Bohemia and Hungary, Anne Jagiello, and with the inheritance contracts signed by Emperor Maximillian I with King Wladislaw II of Bohemia and Hungary in 1515, Archduke Ferdinand was heir to the Bohemian throne. Though it took years for the fractitious nobles of Bohemia to come to terms with the Turkish invasion of Hungary, in the end they did come to terms with the fact that only a strong king could stop the Turkish momentum. In 1526 they elected Ferdinand I king of Bohemia in his own right, but their Hungarian brethren still clung to the foolish hope of peace with the Turk.

The Fall of Hungary

That hope did not last long, as 1526 saw the second invasion within a decade by the Turk. Guided by the traitor, Johan Zapolya, the Turkish armies overran southern Hungary while King Lajos II cowered in his palace, abandoned by God and man. Hungary had chosen to stand alone and it fell alone. Even as Bohemian nobles were trying to rally their Hungarian brethren to elect Archduke Ferdinand king, the Hungarian aristocracy failed their nation and the mother church. In July 1527, they elected Johan Zapolya king, effectively surrendering half of the nation of Hungary to the infidel.

The Betrayal of the Faith

For five years King Johan Zapolya of Hungary strove to cut what few ties remained with the west and set the stage for his final betrayal: The third invasion by the Turk.

Having finished demobilizing the Hungarian army, King Zapolya invited the Ottomans to attack in October 1532. With Ottoman armies on his border, Archduke Ferdinand was forced to react: Perhaps it was not too late to save the westernmost portion of Hungary?

Under his own command, the Austrian forces invaded Hungary, seeking the surrender of Odenburg and Presburg. Only then was the vileness of Zapolya's betrayal made clear. Faced with a choice between being sheltered by Austria and being brutalised by the Turk, the Hungarians chose to surrender to the Sultan Süleyman I despite being defeated by the Austrian armies. Stunned by such utter betrayal and unwilling to pursue war against the Sultan, Archduke Ferdinand withdrew his armies and sent them west, where the Protestant duke of Württemberg, Ulrich I, had allied with Wilhelm IV of Bavaria and had invaded Tyrol and Lombardia claiming piously to be defending Hungary. Even faced with the revelation of the unforgivable evil of Zapolya, they did not relent, but continued pressing their war, even burning the fine arts academy in Vienna.

Faced with such treason from within the Holy Roman Empire, Ferdinand waxed wroth, and decided to make a salutory example of the twain. It took three years of bitter fighting, but at the end Wilhelm IV was forced to cede Ansbach, and Ulrich I was slain for treason and Württemberg annexed. The princes of the Empire were thus reminded that attacking the sole source of legitimacy within Germany was a very bad idea.

The Birth of Austria-Italia

During his reign, the Italian influence waxed in court, as Ferdinand pursued ever closer ties with Italy. Indeed, four of his eight living children by Anne were born in Italy. Even so, it is unlikely that Archduke Ferdinand had any idea what the future held in store, when he visited the new ruler of Tuscany, his good friend Cosimo de'Medici, in early 1537.

Cosimo de'Medici

What exactly did Cosimo II say to Ferdinand when they met, April 4th, 1537? History is mute. We know not for how long Cosimo had been plotting with Ercole II of Modena, nor do we know which concessions he made with the powerful families, though surely they must have been great. What is known is that it was on this occasion that Cosimo II revealed his plan for the unification of Austria and Italy under Ferdinand as Archduke of Austria and King of Italy, with the rulers of Modena and Tuscany made hereditary princes of Italy and guaranteed a permanent voice on the King's council. For three weeks Ferdinand was closeted with Cosimo as they planned the course of history, and then they parted ways, preparing for the transformation.

November 3rd, 1538, the Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, Duke Ercole II of Modena, and Grand Duke Cosimo II of Tuscany, proclaimed the birth of Austria-Italia, with a standing invitation to other Italian nations to join. Doge Andrea Gritti of Venice was not amused, and neither was his successor Pietro Lando.

Central European Political Map, 1542

Central European Religious Map, 1542

BiB · Jun 10, 2003

1542 : Reorganisation of the Realm

Carlos I, por la gracia de Dios, Emperador del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico, Rey de Castilla, de León, de Aragón, de las dos Sicilias, de Jerusalén, de Navarra, de Granada, de Toledo, de Valencia, de Galicia, de Mallorca, de Menorca, de Sevilla, de Cerdeña, de Córdoba, de Córcega, de Murcia, de Jaén, del Algarve, de Algeciras, de Gibraltar, de las Islas Canarias, de las Indias Orientales y Occidentales, de las Islas y Tierrafirme del Continente Oceánico, Archiduque de Austria, Duque de Borgoña, de Brabante y de Milán, Conde de Abspurg, de Flandes, del Tirol y de Barcelona, Señor de Vizcaya y de Molina, hereby orders for the Empire to be reorganised under Him in the following way (explanation given by the Duke of Toledo):

Consejo Real, presided by His Majesty himself, the highest ranking council, to which every other council reports.

Consejo de Castilla, presided by me, the Duke of Toledo, a very powerful council (as the Spanish Empire was in a large way a Castillian Empire), who reported only nominally to the Consejo Real, in reality the Duke of Toledo held a lot of power and reported directly to the King.

Virrey Cortés, ruler of Nueva España, which is divided into 4 separate zones, namely Mexico, Peru, Columbia and Hispaniola (but Cortés held a strong grip on them all). Tribute was paid in the naming of the Columbia area to the great discoverer of the New World but his descendants did not get any real power, despite their efforts. Cortés made xure of that. Cortés and his descendants had earned the undying trust of Carlos I and virtually ruled the New World as their own. They are too powerful in our opinion and we actively try to break their power and keep them out of European affairs but given his relation with Carlos and his current power this is near impossible at this time and we will be hapy to keep 'em out of European affairs. Cortés answers only to the King.

Consejo de Flandes, council largely made up of local nobles, who carefully watched that their privileges weren't broken. A very weak council with no real influence but the locals were happy if their rights were respected and the King was happy to see taxes being inned.

Consejo de Italia, council largely made up of local nobles, who carefully watched that their privileges weren't broken. A very weak council with no real influence but the locals were happy if their rights were respected and the King was happy to see taxes being inned.

Consejo de Aragón, council largely made up of local nobles, who carefully watched that their privileges weren't broken. A very weak council with no real influence but the locals were happy if their rights were respected and the King was happy to see taxes being inned.

Consejo de Austria, a council doomed to vanish as Carlos I all but totally had given his power in that area of his realm over to his brother, Ferdinand I.

Consejo de Granada, a largely religious council, made up of the Spanish Inquisition, led by the Cardinal, to watch closely to see to it that the converted arabs in Granada sticked to their new beliefs. After the great purge of 1493 everyone in that area was catholic already but Carlos I after teh Civil War was not prone to trust many people any more.

As can be seen pretty much all noble influence in Castilla and the New World, hotbed of discontent during the Civil War, was eliminated apart from the Duke of Toledo, one of the few nobles who had stayed loyal during that war, and the new dynasty of Cortés, virrey de Nueva España. They both could act like a king in their respective domains.

In the other parts of the Empire Carlos I maintained the status quo and was revered for it throughout. Centralisation was on the up in Castilla but the rest of the Empire still was largely decentralised. Carlos's main aim after the war was setting up absolute power in Castilla and breaking the backbone of the nobles there. In order to achieve that he promoted the peasantry to slowly establish a class of free Castillians, eager to make their own fortune, either in Castilla or the New World. Fiercely catholic and loyal only to their King. Carlos I truely is the greatest administrator ever.

TheArchduke · Jun 10, 2003

FRANCE 1520-1542 - Outward Expansion

The Italian Expedition

After the declaration of war was sent to the spanish court the french army was mobilized. Personally leading his army into battle Francois who was young and unexperienced wanted to gain some fame and riches in Italy. Under the command of Pierre Bayard nearly 15.000 troops embarked on ships in Marseille while the genoese navy fought numerous battles against Spain on the spanish coastline. Thus Francois was able to ship troops to Italy. Establishing a beachhead in Naples and securing a port the army advanced towards Rome to despose the Pope who excommunicated Francois.

While the brave and outnumbered genoese fleet held off the spanish galleys more troops were shipped in from France while the main bulk of the french army under the command of La Palice protected South France.

Some months later scouts reported that the papal army which had fought on the Balkans had come back and beefed up with new recruits and mercenaries tried to relieve Rome in a futile attempt. Soon later the eternal city fell and was plundered. The pope could escape in the last minute as french troops began to advance and siege the Castel Sant'Angelo. The "Schweizergarde" which defended the Castle were decimated to the last men. Despite hopelessly outnumbered they fought a bitter fight.

Leaving a small occupation force behind the french army advanced to her primary target the spanish city of Napoli. At that time however the genoese fleet was met and defeated in the battle of Valencia and the Spanish fleet was rumoured to be on her way to Italy to battle the french army. Francois wisely decided to seek peace negotiations before he was cut up in Italy. And soon talks commenced. Various nations already decleared that they thought of the french claims as farflung and unjustified.
So instead of pressing his luck Francois decided to use his victories in Italy to press for a clarification of the Spanish-French border and the Spanish King Carlos I. in exchange for France denouncing her claims on Naples ceded the province of Roussillon to France. Thus the Italian War ended.

Expeditions overseas (1)

Back from italy Francois decided that France should also look overseas for places to expand. Giovanni da Verrazano was hired for this task.

It is assumed that Verrazzano was born in or around 1485, on his family's castle, Castello Verrazzano, near Val di Greve, 30 miles south of Florence. Upon reaching majority (also around 1506-7) he moved to Dieppe, France, to pursue a maritime career. He made several voyages to the Eastern Mediterranean, and probably also visited Newfoundland.

Excerpt from the first voyage of the "Dauphine":

TO KING FRANCIS I OF FRANCE
After the tempest suffered in the northern parts, Most Serene King, I have not written to Your Majesty that which was experienced by the four ships which thou hadst sent by the Ocean to discover new lands, thinking that thou hadst been certified of everything -- how we were compelled by the impetuous force of the winds to return to Brittany with only the distressed Normanda and Dauphine; where having made repairs, Your Majesty will have learned the voyage we made with them, armed for war, along the coasts of Spain; later, the new disposition with the Dauphine alone to continue the first navigation; having returned from which, I will tell Your Majesty what we have found.

FROM MADEIRA TO THE NEW WORLDTEMPEST IN THE OCEAN
From the deserted rock near to the Island of Madeira of the lost Serene King of Portugal with the said Dauphine, on the XVII of the month of January past, with fifty men, furnished with victuals, arms and other instruments of war and naval munitions for eight months, we departed, sailing westward by an east-south-east wind blowing with sweet and gentle lenity. In XXV days we sailed eight hundred leagues. The XXIIII day of February we suffered a tempest as severe as ever a man who has navigated suffered. From which, with the divine aid and the goodness of the ship, adapted by its glorious name and fortunate destiny to support the violent waves of the sea, we were delivered. We pursued our navigation continuously toward the west, holding somewhat to the north. In XXV more days we sailed more than 400 leagues where there appeared to us a new land never before seen by anyone, ancient or modern.

Soon it became clear that the English king already claimed and settled vast parts of this new world. Unable to find any place for settlement or further exploitation Verranzano returned to France. Francois was troubled. The new world was divided by Spain and England and news from Portugal proved that Portugal was likely to occupy the rest of the continent. The truce with Spain was quite new at that time and without a sufficient fleet England was not reachable by France.

Thus on his return Francois decided to make a daring move to Africa to oppose the weakest of the colonial powers, Portugal.
This time Verranzano was equipped with 5 Caravells and 5 smaller ships and with an expedition force of 2000 men and sailed around Spain and Portugal avoiding their ships.
300 miles south Verranzano made a landfall in West Africa. As the expedition replinished her supplies she was attacked by hostile natives who managed to burn one of the ships and made another one unusable for another venture. So it was decided to leave 10 cannons and 100 soldiers in a rag-tag fort behind.
Nearly encountering another portugese patrol Verranzano made a move to th open sea again leaving the safety of the coast deciding to sail further south and then east around the Cape of Good Hope as the portugese called it.
Verranzano got lucky as 10 days later he discovered an island which he named after a female relative of his, St.Helena:

Verranzano sent 2 ships back to France while building a port, a fort and a city, Sainte Claire on the island. After 6 months Verranzano sent another 2 ships back asking the french Crown for supplies and settlers for the new city and sailed onwards. Verranzano had big plans for St.Helena with vast plantages, manufactories but he would never come back to St.Helena again.
As he died upon landfall on a small island west of the Cape of Good Hope. Leaderless his brother who could only watch as hostile natives ate Verranzano alive decided to sail back to St.Helena and after that to France.

Europe

Meanwhile in Europe Hungary succumbed to Ottoman rule. In 3 wars Hungary was devasted and annexed by the Ottoman Empire. Fighting for Hungary Austria was betrayed by the Hungarians who bravely but nevertheless hopelessly outnumbered and futile decided to stay independent and face the Ottoman onslaught alone.
As Austria was unable to secure Hungary for herself the Emperor turned on Italy instead. After annexing Mantua, Tuscany and Modena the Emperor proclaimed the Kingdom of Austria-Italy.

Despite lacking interest in italian affairs after dropping her claims on Naples numerous diplomatic notes were sent to the french court asking for a french intervention against the austrian aggression.
Where were those countries as France tried to claim Naples and so protect Italy from the Habsburgs? For the sake of balance France should now sacrifiece herself for other countries who didn´t support France in the past?
Francois decided against that but instead annexed Savoy offically into the realm to at least protect the relative duchy and gain a direct land route to Genoa to protect the freedoom of the Republic. Also an alliance with Venice was established as the Doge was worried about the continuing austrian expansion into Italy. Same with the Bavarian duke who also decided that his only hope for survival was an alliance with France as Austria was seemingly not interested in protecting the german duchies.

In 1533 also Sweden taking advantage of the polish instability decided to claim Estland. Francois was worried over this development as both Sweden and Poland were counted as good friends as Sweden and Poland constantly supported France on all matters. Rumours of french subsidies supporting the Swedish independence are of course invented.

As an answer to the ongoing austrian aggression in Italy the army again was built up and tensions are rising. Who knows what the future may bring for Europe?

Expeditions overseas (2)

Another explorer, Cartier, was hired during 1535 with the new task of exploring onwards where Verranzano had perished. As after fruitless negotiations with England over the St.Lawrence bay and Calais it again became obvious that the time was not ripe for french expeditions there. Also the route around Africa over St.Helena seemed quite secure as the naval might of Portugal was only a shadow of the past as only traders but no warships were spotted along the sealanes towards India.

Cartier was equipped with 3 small ships as his expedition was expected to meet no resistance. Sailing over St.Helena which became a booming port of 1000 souls around the Cape of Good Hope he encountered a storm southeast of the portugese colony in Table. Lasting for numerous days the storm sent the expedition off course. Crossing another island on the way the expedition sailed further north and soon later India was reached.
Cartier soon sailed into the harbour in the province Cochin and meeting with reprensentatives of the City Cartier gathered knowledge of the portugese possessions in India. Portugal had two outposts in India. Goa and Bombay two important cities in the east and the province of Orissa in the west. Orissa was brutally annexed by the portugese army several years earlier but the wrongdoings were not forgotten by the indian people. The french were greeted as peaceful friends as Portugal already had made a bad impression in Oman obliterating the peaceful seafaring nation completely.
So the locals made an alliance with France putting her nation under the protection of French crown and Cartier stayed behind in India as an ambassador and the expedition returned to France with the news. 5 months later the expedition reached France and were greeted by Francois personally. Upon hearing the news Francois established another big expedition smarting even then the Verranzano Expedition some years before.

Establishing another base on a small island in the Indian Ocean named Bourbon the reinforced expedition reached Cochin. Cartier had meanwhile traveled around the southern provinces of India and signed several trade treaties with small cities along the south indian coast. To protect Cochin from Portugal the ancient indian fortress there was improved and enhanced by french engineers and equipped with several cannons.

After those works Cartier again embarked on new journeys and who knows what he will discover in those foreign lands.

Slargos · Jun 11, 2003

The Cartographers of the Krakow University have produced the following maps:

The Political Map of Europe after the Franco/Habsburg conflict

Some moments out of the war, in no particular order

It's late. I'll sort them tomorrow.

Wyvern · Jun 11, 2003

The lost tale of the Tudor Children

Listen well good folk and cross yourself. Kneel on the pew and cry out to our Lord, protect your soul and pray like you've never prayed before. And pray well dear mortal for what you hear tonight is not a tale fit for children. Tuck the little ones up safe and tight, bolt their door against the nightmares of the world, and finally when all is quiet in the house hear my tale.

No, what I tell you now is a tale of blood and betrayal. Betrayal of family, betrayal of nations, and the capricious actions of nobles and monarchs safely ensconced in their stone castles.

Our tale begins with the passing of a King and the crowning of another. Good King Henry is dead, his head softly pillowed in the ample bosom of his sixth wife, Catherine Parr. A goodly woman who will marry yet again and pass away shortly after bearing a daughter. What this says about Henry in his latter years we do not discuss in polite courtly society.

Edward ascends the throne, a man of fire, a man with a mission and his mission is to burn, specifically Catholics! They are dragged screaming from their homes, singly and in groups. Whole villages erased from the land, their names removed from records and ledgers, never to be uttered again by God fearing Christians lest the Papists evil reclaims its grip on the land. Yet the land weaps and his name goes down in history as the bloodiest of English monarchs.

Yet his reign is thankfully short, poisoned by Papist sympathizers, though a fate that does not lead to a many supporting the devoutly Catholic Mary. Yet sister Mary steps in anyway and looks then to have her way, a return to the Catholic faith is what she wants, a dream she yearns for, but yearn is all she can do. Weak she is. Weak and powerless. Her court is ruled by strong men, men who still follow the tyrant Kings agenda and Queen Mary cowers before their rule, following her own Catholic faith still, but unable to end the purging fire that sweeps the land.

War engulfs Europe then and death walks the land. The Irish revolt as do many in the colonies, tying up English armies in the early days of the war, but the iron will of government is not to be ignored and rebel sympathizers are all put down. The Habsburgs have raised the call to arms against France and then the Turk and English fleets dutifully blockade the northern French ports whilst a man steps forward who will walk the wider path of destiny. Frobisher is his name and to India we should go he cries! Yet by the time he reaches this distant land the Portuguese have already overrun the French settlements there and the war is almost over. Mary is also dead by now, a cancer eating her up from within, a punishment for following a false faith her sister says as good Queen Bess ascends the throne even as a Habsburg victory is proclaimed over France and the Turks, one that resounds across the world.

The land is firmly Protestant now, only in Ireland do the Papists still stand, crying defiance at the will of all true Christians. Now the route to India and beyond is open, new lands appear on the horizon ready to be colonised in the name of the Crown, perhaps now is a time of hope, a time of golden opportunity. Perhaps the times of blood, strife and unrest are finally at an end? Do you believe that dear listener? Do you believe that in your heart of hearts? No you are not be a fool! A new tyrant will emerge, one of a different colour to plunge our dear country once more into blood! The King of Spain perhaps, who callously casts England aside after the great war, where England stood firm and resolute against the French and Turk with nary a word of complaint nor a copper coin of help from the burgeoning Spanish treasury. No, Spain refuses to explain her actions and in that she speaks a word that trumpets across the heavens - Betrayal!

BiB · Jun 11, 2003

Defending the Faith

Felipe II, por la gracia de Dios, Rey de Castilla, de Portugal, de Inglaterra, de León, de Aragón, de las dos Sicilias, de Jerusalén, de Navarra, de Granada, de Toledo, de Valencia, de Galicia, de Mallorca, de Menorca, de Sevilla, de Cerdeña, de Córdoba, de Córcega, de Murcia, de Jaén, de Algeciras, de Gibraltar, de las Islas Canarias, de las Indias Orientales y Occidentales, Duque de Borgoña, de Brabante, Conde de Flandes, de Barcelona, Señor de Vizcaya y de Molina.

"A dark terror sweeps across Europe. The protestant cause has not crumbled or been defeated and the catholic church needs to take measures. The Council of Trent needs to severely strengthen the catholic faith and do so quickly. The Spanish nation and the Spanish Inquisition will dutifully take up a pre-eminent role in that. The heretics must be squashed, wherever they may be. From the moment the Holy Father sanctions moves we will act upon them. We are but awaiting his word. Protestants, repent! Or be very afraid ... A terrible fate awaits you ..."

"A special mention goes out to the heretics in my realm. First of all in the Low Countries. Considering we get plenty of gold from the New World taxes will not be raised and local nobles can carry on governing. On one condition though and that is that it stamps out herecy completely. If that is not the case all privileges will be taken away and military rule will be established to convert by the sword."

"Then the English matter. After the passing away of my beloved wife, Mary, Queen of England, a pretender has usurped the English throne instead of me. This mad old bat turned down my marriage proposal and also has eradicated all hope of England returning to the true faith thru peaceful means. As such we will defend our claim to the English throne for the good of the catholic faith. England is therefor cast from our alliance and will burn in hell for providing the evil Turk with maps instead of fighting them."

Wyvern · Jun 11, 2003

A Call for Freedom - a Cry for Hope

Hark well all true believers of the world, lest the Spanish Habsburgs pick you off one by one and doom the world to their Papist madness. Unite now behind the freedom loving fighters of the Netherlands. Free the oppressed, fight the oppressor. Send funds now to England who bravely stands before the Spanish tyrany and against her unjust and illegitimate claim to the English throne.

Watch England go down alone and you will watch the flame of freedom, the last shining beacon of hope die in what will become a forlorn and desolate world. This is not a match of Protestant against Catholic as the Spanish would make out, but another brick in the wall of Habsburg Europe, Habsburg tyrany. Will France, will Portugal, will even the Sultan in Constantinople allow the Habsburg to gain dominance over another crown in europe?

Brave Portuguese, rally now to our flag, put your trust not in the fickle Habsburg crown for they will only betray you as they did in your last war with France. Religion has been no bar to our alliance this last half century, stand now with your true friend, not the new tyrants of the world.

Noble Scandinavians, cast aside past troubles between your nations, unite and enter the world stage alongside the English. Let us cast back this wanton Spanish agression that the Spanish King never again dares to meddle in the religious affairs of another nation!

All true people of the world - Unite behind England, unite against tyrany and save your own soul, whatever your religious belief!

BiB · Jun 11, 2003

La Casa de la Contratacion 1560

"Majesty, rejoice, because we bring good news! The bad effects of the Civil War have all but been eradicated. Colonisation has picked up, production has soared and trade income has recovered. Gold income is steady and flowing."

"The mercantile policies are really paying off as we have totally monopolised the American trade. That trade makes up half of our trade income. Merchants elsewhere are not reaching their pre civil war levels as other nations have surpassed us in efficiency but that loss is absorbed elsewhere as noted. "

"Our production capabilities are 2nd to none and are really starting to pay off. Needless to say first and foremost it's the sugar trade that is booming. But also in the production of coffee, cupper, iron, wine and fish we have the edge over the rest of the world."

"Efforts are being made to rely more on our own production instead of foreign trade to play down insecurity caused by swift market shifts. All foreign competition will be barred from our COTs."

BiB · Jun 11, 2003

Relinquishing the reins 1542-1556

Carlos I ordered Portuguese forces to Uruguay to take out the last remains of the rebel scum. As a token of appreciation and for future good relations Portugal received Uruguay from Spain for their efforts. No more rebels existed in the realm and economic expansion and political consolidation was back at the forefront of the agenda.

Colonial efforts were focused on Columbia, though more slowly than before, and merchants were dispensed to friendly COTs to slowly rebuild the lost merchant presence. Massive missionary activity was initiated in the formerly Inca lands at great costs because the natives, unlike their counterparts in Mexico, resisted the true faith very much. For every succesful missionary attempt, there were 2 failed ones. Carlos I was not amused but persisted at all costs.

The army was built up again somewhat, though it still mostly relied on quality and technology than quantity, and of course supreme leadership. Carlos I saw it fit to promote the Duke of Alva to the position of supreme commander of the Royal Army. An extremely skilled tactician, and as was to be proved in the future, one of the best of his era.

Naval expansion was focused mostly on the Mediterranean though the high seas were not neglected. In general Spain had become more of an army-oriented nation than anything but with a colonial empire like Spain has the navy was not sommink to be neglected.

New troubles were afoot though as herecy reared its ugly head in the domains of the Low Countries, straight into the heart of the place where Carlos I was born. The herecies are condemned harshly but the measures against it enacted lightly. Carlos I was very pragmatically oriented these days and preferred to choose his moments. As such, when faced by a large alliance around France and Venice, he invited England, a protestant nation, into an alliance though he did try actively to revert it to the one true faith via diplomatic ways, like marrying his successor to the catholic Queen Mary.

Inflation soared though and tech research suffered as the Inca proved highly resilient. By 1555 only half the natives had been converted already and there still was much chance for unrest in Peru. Columbia meanwhile got settled nicely. Taking no more chances with unruly natives, conquistadors eradicated the Caribe tribes before settling.

Carlos I had been reigning for 40 years now and was feeling it. Religious struggles had exacted their toll and wars had drained him. Time for a new generation to take over. His son Felipe had been instructed well and Charles formally abdicated in 1556 and divided his Empire between his brother Ferdinand, who had already effectively been ruling the HRE part of his realm for decades, and his son Felipe, who would become Felipe II of Spain. The Low Countries, his native lands, fell to his son while his Northern Italian lands fell to Ferdinand, who also would be the new Emperor.

Carlos I retired to the monastery in Yuste but couldn’t help himself and kept an eye on international politics. Mainly though he acted as a patron of the arts, mainly Titian and biographies of Spanish history. He died in 1558.

BiB · Jun 12, 2003

Biographies Excerpts

Cristóbal Colón, Discoverer of the New World, Founder of Nueva España

El Gran Capitán, Conqueror of Granada, Naples and Navarra, Smiter of the Infidels accross the Gibraltar Strait

Hernán Cortés, Conqueror of the New World, Virrey of Nueva España, Winner of the Spanish Civil War

Francisco Pizarro, Traitor of the Spanish People, Instigator of the Spanish Civil War, Burning in Hell

Carlos I, por la gracia de Dios, Emperador del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico, Rey de Castilla, de León, de Aragón, de las dos Sicilias, de Jerusalén, de Navarra, de Granada, de Toledo, de Valencia, de Galicia, de Mallorca, de Menorca, de Sevilla, de Cerdeña, de Córdoba, de Córcega, de Murcia, de Jaén, del Algarve, de Algeciras, de Gibraltar, de las Islas Canarias, de las Indias Orientales y Occidentales, de las Islas y Tierrafirme del Continente Oceánico, Archiduque de Austria, Duque de Borgoña, de Brabante y de Milán, Conde de Abspurg, de Flandes, del Tirol y de Barcelona, Señor de Vizcaya y de Molina

BiB · Jun 12, 2003

1557 - 1564 : War over Europe

Carlos I would not die knowing all was well in his realm under his son. Venice and France had decided against it. When he died the Habsburg allaince was at war with the French alliance, a war started by Venice over Mantua against Austria.

The war came as a total surprise to Felipe II and Ferdinand. Luckily Spain was a prime military nation and as such, even unprepared, packed a mean punch. Time for Alva to build a reputation.

However things weren't great. France was a powerful nation and not soon after the war started the Ottoman Turk declared war upon the Habsburgs in support of the aggressors. Dutch rebels seized the moment and joined on the French side. We were now facing a formidable alliance.

This set the fronts very clearly. Ferdinand woud fight the Turk in Hungary and Venice in, well, Venice while Alva would fight the French just over the Pyrenees and the Low Countries. Portugal took the war to the French in the colonies.

Our first target was Genoa. Last time its navy had managed to keep ours at bay but now with Doria dead, better leadership on our side and most importantly a fleet twice teh size of before, Genoa didn't stand a chance. Its fleet and the French fleet were brushed away and Corsica and Genoa soon came under siege. The French couldn't relieve them, occupied as they were in the Low Countries and southern France against an onstorming Alva. The Venetian navy was never seen. Bad news travels fast and the total demise of the Genoese fleet made them cower.

Early successes were gained in the south of France. Guyenne, Languedoc and Roussillon were all occupied by Alva's army. However the Franche Comté was occupied by France and teh Low Countries were being overrun.

We threw more men at the French in the south and they had to withdraw from the Netehrlands to withstand our onslaught. The Netherlands were saved for now but now teh French had the initiative in the south. Alva manouvered his way out of trouble while teh French took back the Languedoc.

Meanwhile the French had been unable to help Genoa and it was ready to capitulate. Corsica was ceded to Spain and hostilities were ceased. French invasions in Milan were stopped too.

Meanwhiel back east Austria was succesful against Venice as Venice itself had fallen. However Venice proved unwilling to surrender and dug itself in on its islands. The Tuks were the order of the day now for our uncle.

This put us once on one versus France in Europe. Portugal had taken control of the Indian possessions of France. France was starting to get into trouble. Lots of money was minted by Spain and spread around, mercenaries were hired aplenty. A huge army under Alva was assembled.

The French meanwhile were back to sieging the lowlands and had liberated all but the very south of France. However, now that Alva's army was ready the time had come to strike the final blow to France.

Alva crossed the Pyrenees and defeated the assembled French forces before moving north and pillaging all teh way to the Low Countries. By the time he arrived there, setting fire to many a French forts along the way, a shipload of mercenaries had been delivered in Flanders by the fleet under de Bazán. They met up in Brabant and eliminated the French forces there and then proceeded to take out the rebels under William of Orange up north.

By now civil unrest in France was high and France was on the brink of civil war. When Alva re-entered French lands and took Champagne France caved in. Roussillon was ceded back to Spain and Madagascar was ceded to Portugal. The Iron Duke was victorious. France was left with lots of unrest to quell.

We now turned to teh eastern front to help out Austria. War had been going back and forth there, Alva should be able to strike a decisive blow in favour of Austria there. Portugal now was able to strike at Mascate.

The Spanish Mediterranean fleet was assembled in Naples where Alva had collected an invasion force. However, Spain also started to feel teh strains of war as various groups thoguht it was teh right moment to rebel. Castillian nobles requested old privileges back from Felipe II. With Alva in Naples he agreed.

The arabs in Orania rebelled and so did the people in Navarra, Franche-Comté and Peru. Betetr prepared than last time the rebels in Peru were squashed. However in Europe the situation was more precarious with our armies dispersed over Naples and Flanders. We had to wait for the end of the war ...

Alva set sail and landed in Egypt and took it and then moved on to Alexandria. The Sultan totally unprepared for this changed his stance and gave in. Odenburg was to be Austrian from now on. Mercy was shown on the Sultan as that was all he had to give up.

The race back home was on now. Alba went to crush the Navarrese rebels while the Austrian armies went for the rebels in Franche-Comté. The rebels in Orania had succeded in overthrowing our rule and had joined the nation of Algiers. Considering they pay us yearly tribute we decided against re-establishing our rule but just increased tribute payments.

Rebels in France however fared even better as a full scale civil war broke out there over religious matters. We kept a keen eye on matters there to see the catholic faith prevail. For that effect we supported the staunchly catholic Guise family, however we saw no need to intervene if a more moderate catholic faction woudl prevail. However should a protestant take teh throne, we woudl see ourselves forced to intervene ...

The war had been concluded succesfully. Several provicnes were won for the Habsburg alliance and teh skill of Alva had been proven once and for all. Carlos I might be gone but his successors xure were up to the task. The Empire had never been bigger.

BiB · Jun 13, 2003

The King is dead, long live the King!

With a glorious victory behind his name Felipe II’s position was stronger than ever before. He was out of the shadow of his father now and started enacting his own policies with renewed vigour. Having had to make concessions during the war he now looked at reversing those and even strengthening his own position even more. Where his father focused on limiting the role of the aristocracy tout court, Felipe made lots of centralising moves instead to bind the nobles to him and in that way decrease their powers. He continued his father’s moves to free up the Castillian peasantry to enxure a class which would be extremely loyal to their King.

Access to the king for anyone became a highly treasured privilege. Whereas his father led a very public life, Felipe lived withdrawn in the new permanent capital Madrid and used that fact to his advantage. His study and room in the Royal Palace were at the very end of a long chain of rooms where depending on ur status u could proceed. The most striking aspect of these rooms was the fact there were no chairs. Only the people the King really trusted got to the King’s chambers and Felipe did not trust many people. This meant that if u, like the Duke of Toledo, had access to the king, u carried extreme power in the kingdom. The biggest empire in the world was ruled from this chamber.

The King mostly spent his time working studiously on administrative matters in his own study, hidden from the world. This made the impact a public appearance had very powerful. Visibility and access to the king became a weapon. A whole system of ceremony was set up at the Spanish court. The problem was that the system only worked with a king that could manage it. Luckily Felipe was more than up to the task, just like his father also used ceremony and tradition to his advantage.

He was the Paper King, a true bureaucrat, a civil servant. But one in a very high place. He took care of many administrative matters in great detail himself. “Do not trust anyone, do things urself.” Though just in his policies, his bureaucratic absolutistic tendencies, with a near total disregard for local privileges, caused resentment throughout his own realm. This did not stop him though. Having been in Madrid as a young boy when the rebels took control of the place he knew all to well the dangers of giving away too much freedom.

What also caused resentment throughout the world was his religious intolerance. An extremely devout catholic he actively sought to re-establish the catholic faith as the one true faith, in the colonies and Europe. Inca pagans were now being converted by the sword and the Calvinists in the Netherlands received not a single concession apart from a guarantee they certainly were going to hell.

All this would be reflected in his many new policies and laws ...

BiB · Jun 14, 2003

The purge of the Cortiscos

Fernán Cortés, son of Hernán Cortés, the 2nd virrey of Nueva España, was invited by Felipe II for a visit to Spain. The Cortés family held tremendous power in the New World but now that both Hernán and Carlos had died, Felipe II saw the coast clear to institute his own reforms and limit the powers of the family.

For he had never liked the many powers given to the family by his father. How could u give control of the gold shipments to anyone but loyal civil servants even if said general helped keep u in power during a civil war? However he had to thread carefully for his own power, though growing, especially back home, was yet to be fully established in the New World. But now that time had come.

Felipe II sent the Duke of Toledo to welcome Cortés in Sevilla upon his arrival in Spain, who then proceeded to accompany him to Madrid. There a major feast and banquet was organised in the honour of Cortés and the King himself dined with him. Cortés did not suspect a thing.

Felipe II lamented the fact that as King of both the Indias Orientales and Occidentales his possessions in the East were far smaller than his in the West, where he defo couldn’t complain. A big group of islands were discovered with many valuable goods like spices over there and those were largely unclaimed.

Felipe II announced gloriously that the northern group of islands from now on would be called Las Cortesinas, in honour of the great conquistador, and gave the islands as personal property to the virrey. Cortés was honoured. Little did he realise yet that this meant the end of his reign in Nueva España. He lacked the political acumen of his father.

Felipe II suggested that while Cortés personally led an expedition to his new lands and set up a thriving colony there, he would appoint civil servants to take care of matters in the New World for each of the 4 vicekingdom. The title of virrey became an honourary title only carried by Cortés.

Bearing many gifts and good wishes for his trip out east, Cortés arrived back at Sevilla to set sail to the New World for the last time and from there travel to his new realm. Though he may have lacked the political acumen of his father, he did not lack his entrepreneurial capabilities and not later than 5 years after receiving his new assignment the first colonial city was completed on the Cortesinas with many more to come.

America was lost forever, it was near impossible to keep anyway due to its importance for the Crown both gold and trade wise, but in return he now owned his very private little country, all but in name independent from Spain. Work was under way for a big city in Luzon as new capital for his rule and trade connections with Cathay and Cipango were set up.

U can’t keep a Cortés down. And Felipe II now firmly controlled the American gold and was ready to use it to fund his goals.

unmerged(10915) · Jun 14, 2003

Sweden : 1542 - 1562 : War and Peace

The Lithuanian Campaign

As has been stated before, Sweden went into a phase of economic reforms, mostly involving trade. In the earlier part of 1545, twelve years since the "Polish insult", the Commonwealth invaded the once powerful but now weak state of the Teutonic Order. Gustav had warned the Commonwealth of further expansion in the Baltics, but Zygmunt promised that no such thing would happen. In September, the Commonwealth annexed the Teutonic Order and a month later, Gustav sent a formal declaration of war to Poland, to free the minor protestant state.
Von Mehlen, shipped in from Sweden a few months before, Estland as a base, started his campaign with invading the province of Livland. The main city, Dorpat, lacking in fortifications and defensive structures, was taken swiftly by the assaulting Swedish forces.
Field chief judge Von Mehlen now had an open corridor into the Commonwealth, but he was forced to withdraw due to numerous revolts in the home country.

Peasants, furious of the heavy taxes and treatment of Gustav Vasa (Gustav had grown up on a large farm and knew lots about agriculture. He often sent personal letters to farmers, telling them what to do to get the best out of their lands. People didnt like that

) had revolted and were raiding around in the south of Sweden.
Von Mehlen was shipped home with God´s speed and made short work of the troublemakers. This took all winter and by spring, with fresh reinforcements, he was able to sail back to Estland.

In Lithuania, the situation was troublesome. Enemy forces had sieged Livland and recaptured it and were now on their way to the Swedish city of Reval!
Von Mehlen, thinking fast, landed his army near Riga (Kurland) and assaulted the city. He then marched on Livland, trapping the enemy army assaulting Swedish fortifications.

In the end of 1546, Russia, the infidel Turk and some northern German minors then took the opportunity of a weakened Poland. They invaded, everyone seemingly on their own accord.
Von Mehlen, now heavily relieved of Polish concentration, got the momentum to wipe out the rest of the opposition in the Baltics.
The Teutonic Order was restored in Kurland and was made a Swedish vassal for their efforts.

Development and war with the Danes

After the sucessful campaign in Poland and due to old age, Von Mehlen retired to his estate in Västergötland. In December 21, 1550 he died in his sleep, now a very old man with a substantial fortune and fame. Von Mehlen had participated in the first war of liberation against the Danes, fought two wars versus Poland and another war against Denmark. His military experience and knowledge served Sweden greatly and an academy in Stockholm was founded in his name.

Von Mehlen (believe it or not )

Gustav now started another round of reforms, promoting trade and building roads.
As he was growing old of age, his mind had become clouded, partly for the fact that his soul friend and comrade Von Mehlen had died a few years before. Some even claim he was schizophrenic. He was often seen rooming around the countryside, talking loudly to himself and causing general worry. He remembered his young days, where he had relieved Sweden from the Danish yoke. But the Danes had grown silent, no more trying to reinforce the claims of the Kalmar Union. Gustav started fantazising, perhaps the Danes were scheming, about to start a terrible war to bring Sweden back to the mouth of Denmark?
No matter what Gustav thought, he decided to start a war against them. With the intent of freeing the province of Jämtland from the Danes as a pretext, he invaded. This time Lt. General Klas E. Fleming headed the troops. He was an able commander, a student of Von Mehlen, the famed general.

Denmark decided that action was better than patience and was the first to cross the border. They laid siege to Älvsborg, but were soon beaten back across the border. Early in the war, Klas invaded Skåne and after two assaults, it was in Swedish hands.

The naval battle was a great victory all through. Admiral Jakob Bagge, with his inferior navy, pounded the split but numerically superior Danish counterpart. Sweden were victorious in every single naval battle despite incredibly superior Danish numbers.
Once during the war, Jakob was outnumbered 24 ships vs 40, but still sent the Danish navy burning into port.

On the mainland however, Klas decided it was time to act. Everything had been silent for a while, so he invaded southern Norway with his army of 30k. The battle of Oslo was proven to be worrysome, as despite larger numbers, Klas was forced to retreat. The Danes were not slow to rally and Klas had to withdraw once again. The spectacle continued all the way up to Gästrikland, where the enemy army, attritioned down and low on morale, was sent fleeing. During Klas´s long withdrawal, armies had been recruited and the Swedish army was numbering about 35k. The land battle was going to be an easy victory indeed.

But now something terrible happened. In March 1557, Russia, afraid of Swedish intentions and not willing to have a weak ally in Denmark, decided it was time to intervene. Gustav, in a moment of clearness, peaced out of the war as he understood Sweden was not in a face where she could wage a long war, even though she had great chances at winning it anyway.*

Old, tired and depressed, Gustav Vasa died in 1561.
One of his three sons took over the throne (More of that in the next entry).
Gustav had taken Sweden from being a poor nation in the backwater of Europe to a country with potential. His many economic reforms had created a stable ground and his wars with Denmark had rendered any chance of recreation of the Union almost impossible.

*Actually the only reason i started this war was that i wanted to fight some . I never made a serious attempt at taking Jämtland or other provinces beside Skåne. Another fact was that Denmark had been so silent wich i thought was boring. During this time, Denmark should do everything to try to recreate the Union goddammit!

Another note to the players: Sweden has fought more player wars than any western european nation. That is rediculous! During this age, wars were old news. Everyone fought with each other. A suggestion to try to simulate the chaos of the period. Fight some wars.

"Machiavelli : Europe Arising", an MP RPG AAR

We're not Brazil

In the lands of Calradia

In the lands of Calradia

Lt. General

We're not Brazil

Older than dirt

the Conqueror

Comité du Salut Public

Doing his own thing

High Jerkness

In the lands of Calradia

Comité du Salut Public

In the lands of Calradia

Comité du Salut Public

Comité du Salut Public

Comité du Salut Public

Comité du Salut Public

Comité du Salut Public

Comité du Salut Public

Im The Young Cow Man