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The young men in the sunny plaza were clearly not agreeing on the matter being dicussed. Balsamo, of the family Gandolfi, stood up almost spitting out the words as he lectured sitting Thadeo Barbarigo on how international politics worked. These two men were often seen together, usually up to some mischief as you men with too little responsibility did. The sun was close to zenit and did it's worst to heat up the noblemen further.

Balsamo Gandolfi: It's your uncle again.. When are you going to get an opinion of your own! He has no idea of anything anymore, he's close to blind I've heard!

Thadeo Brabarigo: What's this echo, can you hear it too? You are repeating the words of your father! What would we ever get from an alliance with the Habsburgs! You tell me with your own words..

Balsamo Gandolfi: He's too careful. The Habsburgs are the most influential German family there is, they rule both Austria and Tyrol. An alliance with them that we lead would mean a lot of prestige, and a safer northern border.

Thadeo Brabarigo: Perhaps they are of the same family, but I've heard the are not cooperating closely despite it. Austria will only drag us into wars far up in Bohemia or with some petty German elector. What's the point? They are far away from any of our enemies, doesn't even border the Turks.

Balsamo Gandolfi: The Ottomans! Everyone is talking of the coming war with them, I bet that is never going to happen, something your father made up just to increas his trade in the Black Sea...

A lot more was said, but with less and less substance. Hadn't Senator Cornero passed by and calmed them down, it might even have led to blows.
 
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Fodoron said:
Senators must enter the nations that are of importance to Venice into the appropiate categories, even if they are not currently available. Thus the importance of separating nations into the four groups so I know how to react to them.

Fodoron, this might be too much for you to be able to do, so if so, just bag it. But, so far in your pictures and info, you've fairly limited it to our "neck of the woods." But as far as alliances and such, when I play, I am always looking for that important nation to add, even if they are far away. But when you've asked us to vote, I haven't really been able to tell what was happening with, say England or Denmark or Sweden. It might be, as I said, too hard to put pictures of everything, but still--what of Lithuania or Novogrod and so forth. I know in the last vote, I wasn't really sure what to do with France since I wasn't really sure what was happening there.

So, I agree with you about the voting on the nations and I think you are right to stick to your guns. Must of made you sick to not be able to grab Austria, due to our voting. You probably have a stronger constitution than I since I would have probably done it anyway and then tried to explain it away to everyone. LOL :eek: Keep up the good work, mate.
 
Well, I feel that this option would suffice to allow Fodoron to ally Austria

Fodoron said:
Election 19

That they are already at war is strongly desirable. The following one is a tie, so it is up to me:

2B. When we have strong allies (wait until we can join somebody likely to help, it might be possible in about 25 years) (4/8)

Anyway, Ally Austria :)
 
Norrefeldt said:
They cannot reach the Ottomans, no border.

Most Respected Senator Norrefeldt,

The Senate has decided not to call our allies to a war with the Turks.

I suggest we ally with Austria to deter others from attacking us in Itlay, while we are engaged.

Also, there will no doubt be future wars in Italy. Clearly the Austrians will be of use in those wars. And finally, they are related to everyone and have claims to many thrones of Europe. Who know how great they will become?
If we secure our northern frontier through this alliance, we will have a free hand in Italy and the east.

Captain General Fodoron,

While Austria is not a dear friend, they are a friend. I agree that the vote to seek allies for the Turkish war should give you the authority to add them to the alliance. The Genoa case was different because they were an enemy.
Anyway, I formally vote to ally with Austria.

Finally, your work in informing us on developments continue to be exemplary.
Many thanks.

Arturo Gandolfi
 
If I read the events of the last five years right, then Austria now has a border with us and will be able to walk its armies through our Adriatic provinces and into the Ottoman Empire via Kossovo. In that case I vote to bring Austria into our alliance and call our allies if we fight the Ottomans.

I have also edited my vote to include Kossovo in the list of desirable provinces as taking it and Macedonia will give us a land connection to Greece and Thrace.
 
Dandolo.gif

Senators,

Our vote was clear. War against the Osmanlis was to be sought after, whether we had a legal reason or not. The only conditions are that they should be at war, and we need to be ready.

Five years have passed since our vote. The Osmanlis have started a war against Albania. And WE ARE STILL AT PEACE !

Since the Osmanlis are at war, I suppose it's the other condition that prevents us from moving against them, right ? After all, the Doge himself renewed our Alliance with Tuscany and Naples, so this depicts his belief that allies are unneeded. And the Doge wants to persuade us that, in five years !, he has been unable to sufficiently strengthen the Repubblica ? Will he wait until the Osmanlis will have completely conquered the Albanians ? Ooh, I am certain that he will withdraw behind the argument that the heathens are at peace, to excuse his cowardness.

His inactivity is the downfall of italian cities. Siena is now under the ruthless hands of Iberians. France, who is showing pressing interest for Italy, has finally conquered a port on the Mediterranean.

Now, there may be another explanation. Perhaps he really could not strengthen our proud nation. But if it is so, that he was unable to prepare the country for a war, despite the unexpected arrival of the Stradiotti, then he must be the worse Doge we ever had. Incompetence is nearly as serious as treason, for he is the one holding the reins of day-to-day affairs, he who commands our armies, our fleets.

Senators ! Jacopo Foscarini has been condemned for treason with lighter charges than this. He was one of those asking for severity towards the son of his predecessor, he is the one who was chosen by the Council of Ten when they deposed the respected Doge Foscari. Why should we not treat him the way he treated his predecessor ?
Why was Martino Falieri condemned, if we do not learn from our lessons ? The Repubblica is strong, the Doge is under order to use our strength against our enemies, but the Doge refuses and delays ? Will he use that strength against us, the Senate, the very heart and soul of the Serenissima Repubblica ? It is my deepest belief and concern.

I, Senator Enrico Dandolo, asks that the Senate revokes the Doge Malipiero, would-be tyrant, ere fell darkness embrace our freedom and democracy.


EDIT:
OOC : gosh, I missed the line about Doge Moro. I thought we still had a few years. :( Well, I'll leave this post, just consider it was issued just the day before he died. :cool:
 
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Senator Dandolo,

As you are so eager for war, should you not cast your vote to add Austria to our alliance?

A Gandolfi
 
aegandolfi said:
Senator Dandolo,

As you are so eager for war, should you not cast your vote to add Austria to our alliance?

A Gandolfi
I am not eager to see Austria in our Alliance for now. In my opinion, risks are far greater with them than without : I fear they would drag us in wars against remote countries like Bohemia or Bavaria, even more so as we won't call our allies in our war against the Osmanlis. Their possible enemies are more powerful than them, and they would only survive with our help - which I am not eager to give them.
 
A much revitalized Fortunato Falisci returns today to the Senate.

"Five years does a ailing man good sometimes, gentlemen. I am troubled with the continued desire for wars with the Turk however. What do we gain by taking poor lands of the Slavs again? The issue falls upon deaf ears in these halls, no matter."

Fortunato pauses a moment before continuing on. "The idea of an alliance with Austria is tempting in some ways but I ask you to think long on the consequences. These Habsburgs seem powerful in a way that the German princes have not been for many generations and they have a disturbing ability to consolidate their power it seems to me. I do not trust them but to be fair I do not trust much this days other than the ability of the strong to subjugate the weak. To them, I say nay, and would rather work to increase our friendships among the city-states if such an opportunity arises or even improve our relations with the Magyar."

[OOC: BTW, is Austria the Emperor? Doubly no in that case. No need to let the Emperor have any influence whatsoever in what is rightly Venice's playground. :) Italy is so wealthy, I wonder why people want to fool around with poor, wrong religion, Slavonic lands. :wacko: I take it that Thrace was taken early to attempt to cripple Ottoman growth?]
 
Cornaro_G.gif


Dear Senator Falisci, so good to have you back among us. Let me make the case as clear as I see it. And I will stay away from the obvious religious answer to your question. Of course no one here will doubt your Christianity or your devotion to the Holy Father.

Firstly, you are completely right that economically those provinces are poor and often not even of our culture. However, the point is NOT about the economics of those provinces. My desire to rid Europe of the infidel is solely about protecting our Republic while we set about bringing a unification of the Italian penisula.

There--I said it--it is clear that eventually we will work to reclaim our ancient land of birth via the Roman Republic.

It is my very strong contention that if we focus on Italy now, wasting our energy on Genoa or the Papal States themselves, we will find ourselves in no better position than now. Meanwhile, the turk will continue to feast on lands to our rear. It is clear that the Hungarians do not have the strength in their blood to oppose the Turks. Neither do any of the other slavs in the Balkans. Long has that land been bereft of true Roman blood of strength and valor. Large was the mistake of Emperor Valens when he allowed the Visigoths to cross the Danube and settle in those very lands, a mistake he paid with his life.

If we do not oppose them now, we will find them on our very doorsteps. Yes, at that time, we might find ourselves possessing most of boot, but we will be under tremendous pressure to hold the turk out. At the same time, by pushing towards the West now, we potentially find ourselves embroiled in the dealings with the French, a power we certainly cannot oppose now. Nor do we want to get into conflict with the growing Hapsburg power. Some have worried about the power of Tyrol--count it a fact that they will not be with us long. For their insolence, either France, Bavaria or Austria will take them out.

Thus, I agree with you that we want to control our ancient lands. I agree with Golden Party members that trade is our lifeblood. But to accomplish our aims in our future (and to keep those lands for long into our future), we must clear out the enemies behind us. If we deal with the Ottoman now, we find them still growing. But if we do not deal with them, they will be stronger still. Do not doubt their aggression--they will not brook resistance from Egypt and you will see them pushing further south. From there, they will have manpower resources that we can never match. Thus, 30, 50, 80 years from now, any policy to ignore them dooms our successors to dealing with an even stronger enemy.

But, if we take them out now, I believe that our army and navy can successfully match them in a very careful war that allows us to remove them from our land. Then, we can hold the Straights forever, perhaps even having taken the old colonies of old Greece in Symrna. At that point, the infidel can rail all he wishes, but we will be untouchable by him. And he will then be forced to contend with those of his own faith while we go about the business of controlling Italy at our leisure. With the Balkans population to sustain us, we could then conceivably face an aggressive France or Austria.

You do see this, right? We do this for the church, of course, but we also do this to ensure our future, the very future you ask about.
 
lawkeeper said:
Senators,

Our vote was clear. War against the Osmanlis was to be sought after, whether we had a legal reason or not. The only conditions are that they should be at war, and we need to be ready.

Five years have passed since our vote. The Osmanlis have started a war against Albania. And WE ARE STILL AT PEACE !

Dear young Dandolo,

We forgive your impetuous lenguage. I understand your eagerness to fight theTurk. But the fact is that Doge Malipiero did not declare war to Mehmet. There are three possible explanations:

His pacific nature prevented him from entering an uncertain war that would cost so many casualties between our sons and friends.

The war of Karaman commited too few resources from Mehmet to have any impact in his defenses, and the war of Albania had the opposite effect of atracting more Turkish troops to Europe.

Or finally, history repeats itself, and it was written that Venice would find herself at war against the Ottoman empire between 1463 and 1479.

Whatever the explanation, I can assure you that the hand of this Doge will not hesitate in signing our war declaration against Mehmet.

On the issue of seeing Austria in our alliance, seeing the split from the Council, the Doge decided to not invite them until a new election can really clarify the issue.


[And boy was that a lucky decision. In the next 5 years our good neighbour, Hungary, declared war to Austria not once but twice. We would have been fighting in Dalmatia, while trying to fend off the Turkish menace.]

Moro2.gif
Cristoforo Moro, LXVII Dux Venetiarum. Dec. 1463.
67.jpg
 
[size=+1]1463 Report (December)[/size]

1463b.jpg

Economy
Stability -2
Stability cost = 461D/level
Treasury = 255D
Inflation 4.0

Code:
Number of provinces:
1419     6
1423     7
1428     9
1433     9
1438     9
1443    11
1448    13
1453    13
1458    13
1463    13

Yearly income from provinces:
           Tax       Prod     Manp
1419      29.86      23.48     6.2
1423      46.80      37.43     6.2
1428      68.13      44.40     8.8
1433      78.78      44.14     8.8
1438      79.68      44.37     9.8
1443      80.78      55.47    12.0
1448      95.84      72.49    14.8
1453      97.74      78.34    13.8
1458      88.09      81.13    14.8
1463      82.48      90.87    16.0

Monthly income:
           Tax     Prod     Trade    Gold    Total   mil. maint. (50%)
1419       9.3      2.0       5.9     0.0     17.2       -1.7
1423      12.8      3.1       9.7     0.0     25.7       -2.2
1428      16.1      3.7       8.3     0.0     28.1       -2.2
1433      16.8      3.7       7.2     0.0     27.7       -2.5
1438      16.7      3.7       7.6     0.0     28.0       -2.6
1443      17.7      4.6       7.9     0.0     30.3       -3.4
1448      20.8      6.0       6.2     0.0     33.1       -3.1
1453      21.3      6.5       9.4     0.0     37.3       -3.8
1458      20.8      7.8      12.1     0.0     40.7       -3.9
1463      20.4      8.6       7.2     0.0     36.2       -4.7

24 merchants in CoTs (-11). 0.6 merchants/year
cost of placement is 4-7 in Italy, 7-8 in Europe, 17-24 Rest of the world.
Trade efficiency is 54% (first nation).

National
Monarch Cristoforo Moro
Military Good (7)
Administrative Average (5)
Diplomacy Average (5)

Code:
Domestic policies:
Year 1400 +       19 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63
Aristocracy        4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  5
Centralization     3  4  -  -  -  -  -  5  -  7
Innovative         4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -
Mercantilism       5  -  4  5  -  -  -  -  -  6
Offensive          2  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3
Land               2  -  3  2  -  -  1  -  -  2
Quality            6  -  7  6  7  -  6  -  -  7
Serfdom            4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3


Technology + % of next level (estimated date, current investment)
Land 2 + 72% (1473, 15%)
Naval 3 + 10% (1486, 15%)
Trade 3 + 49% (1533, 0%)
Production 3 + 10% (1645, 0%)

Manufactories:
Refinery in Crete (finished in 1456)

Military

Maximum morale displayed at 50% maintenance (Not real morale): 1.75 + 0.5 - 0.02 = 2.23

Leaders:
G. Loredan (naval) 4,3,4
Bartolomeo Colleoni (land) 4,4,3
Canal (naval) 3,2,2

Army 16k infantry, 29k cavalry
maintenance cost at 50% 2.9 D/month
Army support limit = 46 000 (12 000 from trade)
Cost of army units:
Infantry 14D
Cavalry 27D

Navy 6 warships, 51 galleys, 9 transports
maintenance cost at 50% 1.1 D/month
Navy support limit = 128
Cost of naval units:
warships 47D
Galleys 10D

Manpower = 12
Manpower pool = 24,000 (12,000/year)

International

1) Standing
Cores (Permanent CB): Cyprus (Cyprus)
Allies: Naples, Tuscany
Bad Boy 6.5/35 slightly tarnished
Permanent CB: Cyprus
Temporary CB: Burgundy (Dec. 1465), Uzbek (Feb. 1465)

Countries with permanent CB on Venice:
Albania, Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Papal States.

1463c.jpg

2) Neighbours and near-neighbours by areas (allies). Underlined countries have land/strait border to Venice:

Italy:
Papal States -175
Aragon +1 (England -32, Brandenburg, Livonian Order, Brittany, Castile -8)
Venice (Naples +200 MA, Tuscany +192 MA)
Genoa +125 (Moldava -108)
Savoy +125 MA (Bohemia +81, Denmark, Scotland)
North:
Tyrol +95 RM (Bavaria +126, Berg, Palatinate, Bayreuth, Wirtemberg +125)
Danubian:
Austria +122 RM MA
Hungary +0 RM
Balcan/Carpatian/Asia minor:
Bosnia +88 MA
Albania -200 (Cyprus -4 RM)
Wallachia -11
OE -200 (Qazak Horde, Transoxiana)
Karaman -200
Ramazan -196 (Egypt -137, Adal, Yemen, Kara Koyunlu -199, Tunisia)
Mediterranean:
The Knights +125
Black sea:
Theodoros +15
Georgia, -103 (Muscowy, Tver)

3) Vassalages:
Wallachia and Bosnia are vassals of OE
Savoy and Wirtemberg are vassals of Tyrol
Moldava is a vassal of Lithuania
Naples and Tuscany are vassals of Venice
Ramazan is a vassal of Egypt
Bohemia is a vassals of Hungary
Sirvan is a vassal of Kara Koyunlu

4) Changes in our area:
Provence was annexed by France
Karaman lost Konya to OE
Papal States lost Siena to Aragon
Albania lost Kosovo to OE
Austria inherited Styria (they got Steiermark, while Hungary got Krain)
 
armes.gif
My lords, senators,

As you know, we have been at war with the Turk for the last four years. The gods of war had been kind to us, and we are inflicting defeat on the heathens. We have conquered Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Rumelia, Dobrudja and Sochi. We have defeated the armies and fleets of the devil on 19 occassions, although defeat came to us on 10 unfortunate battles. Our armies don't seem to perform very well, even when superior in numbers. But our warscore stands at 40%. Now a choice presents before us:

1468d.jpg

[Election 19. End of war against the OE. Please choose one of each]

1A Shall we continue fighting?
1B or should we find an arrengement with Mehmet suitable to us?

If war is decided, and given the strengh of the Sultan armies (estimated at 80-100,000, to our 33,000), what is the recommended strategy?

2A Should we invade Anatolia and stand their charge like a man, counting on good old Bartolomeo Colleoni and our cavalry to stop the Turkish hordes.
2B or maybe take out the naval protection from the Dardaneles, and let them cross the straight and come to our forces in Thrace.
2C or perhaps disembark forces in Trabzon and maybe Ramazan and see if we can increase the warscore from their rearguard.

If we decide to find a suitable arrengement at the peace table with Mehmet, and given that our warscore only guarantees two provinces (perhaps three). What would be your preference?

3A Should we accept the sultan's offer (Kosovo, Dobrudja, Rumelia, Bulgaria & Sochi).
3B or should we request Macedonia and one or two more provinces to be determined, plus some money if possible, up to 29% warscore.

4. If we do want to decide our gains at the peace table, please state your two preferred provinces (besides Macedonia, already decided) by order.

Complete reports on the situation will follow soon while I await your instructions.

Your faithful servant,


Capitano Generale Fodoroni.
From Constantinople, December 1468.
 
1464-1468 Account:

Year 1464
Stability rose to -1
The crusade that never was happened to us

Important international events nearby
Hungary DoW Austria

Our diplomacy
Venice DoW Ottoman Empire, Qazak Horde & Transaxonia

Year 1465
Stability rose to +0
We conquered Macedonia, Serbia & Kosovo

Important international events nearby
Hungary DoW Bosnia
Nubia & Ramazan entered OE alliance and joined war.

Our diplomacy
We were offered 24D by OE

Year 1466
Stability rose to +1
We conquered Dobrudja

Important international events nearby
The government of Egypt fell
Hungary DoW Bohemia, Savoy, Denmark, Scotland, Saxony & Austria by event.

Our diplomacy
We were offered 110D by OE

Year 1467
Stability rose to +2 (investment shifted to trade)
Reining in the Merchant princes happened to us. We chose not (-25 VP)
We conquered Rumelia & Bulgaria
G. Loredan (naval leader) died

Important international events nearby

Our diplomacy
We were offered Kosovo, Dobrudja, Rumelia & Macedonia by OE.

Year 1468
Rossi appeal happened to us. We granted it (+1 Stability)
Nobles demand old rights happened to us. We accepted (centralization -1)
We conquered Sochi
Gift from Skanderbeg happened to us (Gain Albanian culture, offensive +1, serfdom -1, relation to OE -100)

Important international events nearby
Bosnia lost Croatia to Hungary

Our diplomacy
We were offered Kosovo, Dobrudja, Rumelia, Bulgaria & Sochi by OE.
 
Dear senators,

Good Fododoni has given us an update on the war against the Turk, but we must not forget that other issues are shaping our Republic:

In 1467, Reining in the Merchant princes happened to us. We chose not (-25 VP), because the alternative was an increase in centralization (good), but also an increase in aristocracy that has never been requested. The alternative is absolutely neutral, so it was chosen. We will soon decide about our long term goals for our domestic policies.

1467.jpg

In 1468, Someone called Rossi appealed to us to maintain his priviledges. The Doge considered that given the choices (+1 Stability versus -1 Stability), it was not worth it asking the senate to pronounce on it, so he granted the appeal.

1468.jpg

Soon later, some nobles took advantage of our war against the Turk to try to increase their rights. Doge Cristoforo Moro had no choice but to grant those old rights (-1 centralization), because our war against the Turk lasts already four years, and a steep loss of stability could place us at a very sensitive situation, if we lose more stability and rebellions break up in several provinces.

1468b.jpg

And finally, we received the legacy of Skanderbeg, when this infatigable fighter for the independence of Albania died. This issue is so important that it merits its own consideration by this chamber.


The Dogal Secretary
December 1468
 
Skanderbeg

Gjergj (Albanian: George) Kastrioti was born in Kruja from Gjon Kastrioti, lord of Middle Albania, who was obliged by the Ottomans to pay tribute to the Empire. To assure the fidelity of local rulers the Sultan used to take their sons as hostage and bring them up in his court. Gjergj Kastrioti attended military school in the Ottoman Empire and was named Iskander Bey which in Turkish means Lord Alexandre.

He was distinguished as one of the best officers in several Ottoman campaigns both in Asia Minor and in Europe, and the Sultan appointed him General. He even fought against Greeks, Serbs and Hungarians, and some sources says that he used to maintain secret links with Raguse, Venice, Vladislas of Hungary et Alphonse V of Naples. Sultan Murat II gave him the title Vali which made him the General Governor of some provinces in central Albania. He was respected everywhere but he missed his country.

In 1443, during the battle against the Hungarians of Hunyadi in Nish (in present day Serbia), he abandoned the Ottoman Army and captured Kruja, his father's seat in middle Albania. Above the castle he rose the Albanian flag, a red flag with the black double-headed eagle, the present-day Albanian flag, and pronounced to his countrymen the famous words: "I have not brought you liberty, I found it here, among you". He managed to unite all Albanian princes at the town of Lezha (League of Lezha, 1444) and united them under his command to fight against the Turks.

During the next 25 years he fought, with forces rarely exceeding 20,000 against the most powerful army of that time and defeated it for 25 years. In 1450 the Turkish army was led by the Sultan Murad II in person, who died after his defeat on the way back. Two other times, in 1466 and 1467, Mehmed II, the conqueror of Constantinople, led the Turkish army himself against Skanderbeg and failed too. The Ottoman Empire attempted to conquer Kruja 24 times and failed all 24 of them.

Skanderbeg's military successes evoked a good deal of interest and admiration of the Papal state, Venice and Naples, themselves threatened by the growing Ottoman power across the Adriatic. The Albanian warrior played his hand with a good deal of political and diplomatic skill in his dealings with the three Italian states. Hoping to strengthen and expand the last Christian bridgehead in the Balkans, they provided Skanderbeg with money, supplies and occasionally with troops. One of his most powerful and consistent supporters was Alfonso the Magnanimous (1416-1458), the Aragonese king of Naples, who decided to take Skanderbeg under his protection as vassal in 1451, shortly after the latter had scored his second victory against Murad II. In addition to financial assistance, the King of Naples undertook to supply the Albanian leader with troops, military equipment as well as with sanctuary for himself and his family if such a need should arise. As an active defender of the Christian cause in the Balkans, Skanderbeg was also closely involved with the politics of four Popes, one of them being Pius II (1458-1464) or Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini, the Renaissance humanist, writer and diplomat.

Profoundly shaken by the fall of Constantinople in 1453, Pius II tried to organise a new crusade against the Turks; consequently he did his best to come to Skanderbeg's aid, as two of his predecessors Nicholas V and Calixtus III, had done before him. This policy was continued by his successor, Paul II,(1464-1473). They gave him the title Athleta Christi.

For a quarter of a century he and his country prevented Turks from invading Catholic Western Europe.

After his death from natural causes in 1468 in Lezha, his soldiers resisted the Turks for the next 12 years. In 1480 Albania was finally conquered by the Ottoman Empire. When the Turks found the grave of Skanderbeg in Saint Nicholas church of Lezha, they opened it and held his bones like talismans for luck. In 1480 the Turks invaded Italy and conquered the City of Otranto.

Skanderbeg's posthumous renown was by no means confined to his own country. Voltaire thought the Byzantine Empire would have survived had it possesed a leader of his quality. A number of poets and composers have also drawn inspiration from his military career. The French sixteenth-century poet Ronsard wrote a poem about him and so did the nineteenth-century American poet Longfellow. Antonio Vivaldi, too, composed an opera entitled Scanderbeg.

Skanderbeg today is the National Hero of Albania. Many museums and monuments are raised in his honour around Albania, and among them the Museum of Skanderbeg in his famous castle in Kruja.

1468c.jpg

Election 20. The Albanian Question

Senators of the Consiglio,

Gjergj Kastrioti "Skanderbeg" has left us a legacy: The defense of Albania has been entrusted to our hands (Albanian culture). To properly defend the Albanians we must take action, or alternatively we can let them on their own. The defense of Albania requires to be allied to them or to take control of their government. Currently we have awful relations to Albania (-200) and they are allied to Cyprus, who are neutral to us. Please chose one of the following:

1A Albania does not concern us.
1B We must "defend" Albania from the Turkish menace.

2A We should try a kind approach, spend big amounts of money (estimated at over 300D) and diplomats to make them our trusted friends, and when their alliance to Cyprus expires (if it expires), we will ask them to join our alliance.
2B Since their current government is so opposed to our help we should declare war to them.

3A After conquering Albania we should annnex her. We know better what is best for them.
3B After conquering Albania, we should vassalize her, and then we will spend big amounts of money (estimated at over 300D) and diplomats to make them our trusted friends, and we will ask them to join our alliance.
 
[size=+1]1468 Report (December)[/size]

1468e.jpg

Economy
Stability +3
Stability cost = ?/level
Treasury = 63D
Inflation 4.0

Code:
Number of provinces:
1419     6
1423     7
1428     9
1433     9
1438     9
1443    11
1448    13
1453    13
1458    13
1463    13
1468    13

Yearly income from provinces:
           Tax       Prod     Manp
1419      29.86      23.48     6.2
1423      46.80      37.43     6.2
1428      68.13      44.40     8.8
1433      78.78      44.14     8.8
1438      79.68      44.37     9.8
1443      80.78      55.47    12.0
1448      95.84      72.49    14.8
1453      97.74      78.34    13.8
1458      88.09      81.13    14.8
1463      82.48      90.87    16.0
1468     111.33      90.87    17.0

Monthly income:
           Tax     Prod     Trade    Gold    Total   mil. maint. (50%)
1419       9.3      2.0       5.9     0.0     17.2       -1.7
1423      12.8      3.1       9.7     0.0     25.7       -2.2
1428      16.1      3.7       8.3     0.0     28.1       -2.2
1433      16.8      3.7       7.2     0.0     27.7       -2.5
1438      16.7      3.7       7.6     0.0     28.0       -2.6
1443      17.7      4.6       7.9     0.0     30.3       -3.4
1448      20.8      6.0       6.2     0.0     33.1       -3.1
1453      21.3      6.5       9.4     0.0     37.3       -3.8
1458      20.8      7.8      12.1     0.0     40.7       -3.9
1463      20.4      8.6       7.2     0.0     36.2       -4.7
1468      22.8     11.8       4.4     0.0     39.1       -4.1

16 merchants in CoTs (-8). ? merchants/year
cost of placement is 4-7 in Italy, 7-8 in Europe, 17-24 Rest of the world.
Trade efficiency is 54% (first nation).

National
Monarch Cristoforo Moro
Military Good (7)
Administrative Average (5)
Diplomacy Average (5)

Code:
Domestic policies:
Year 1400 +       19 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68
Aristocracy        4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  5  -
Centralization     3  4  -  -  -  -  -  5  -  7  6
Innovative         4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -
Mercantilism       5  -  4  5  -  -  -  -  -  6  -
Offensive          2  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  4
Land               2  -  3  2  -  -  1  -  -  2  -
Quality            6  -  7  6  7  -  6  -  -  7  -
Serfdom            4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  2


Technology + % of next level (estimated date, current investment)
Land 2 + 86% (1473, 15%)
Naval 3 + 29% (1488, 15%)
Trade 3 + 70% (1478, 70%)
Production 3 + 12% (1686, 0%)

Manufactories:
Refinery in Crete (finished in 1456)

Military

Maximum morale displayed at 50% maintenance (Not real morale): 1.75 + 0.5 + 0.21 = 2.46

Leaders:
Bartolomeo Colleoni (land) 4,4,3
Canal (naval) 3,2,2

Army 13k infantry, 24k cavalry
maintenance cost at 50% 3.0 D/month
Army support limit = 44 000 (7 000 from trade)
Cost of army units:
Infantry 14D
Cavalry 27D

Navy 6 warships, 51 galleys, 9 transports
maintenance cost at 50% 1.1 D/month
Navy support limit = 125
Cost of naval units:
warships 47D
Galleys 10D

Manpower = 13
Manpower pool = 26,000 (13,000/year)

International

1) Standing
Cores (Permanent CB): Cyprus (Cyprus)
Allies: Naples, Tuscany
Bad Boy 6.9/37 slightly tarnished
Permanent CB: Cyprus
Temporary CB:

Countries with permanent CB on Venice:
Albania, Hungary, Ottoman Empire, Papal States.

1468f.jpg

IMPORTANT: To have more information about countries not in our area. I have changed the map to show our relationships throughout Europe and the near East. Dark Green represents countries with > +150 relationship to us. Light Green represents countries with +100 to +150 relationship to us. White countries have -100 to +100 relationship to us. Bright red countries have between -100 and -150 relationship to us, and dark red countries have < -150 relationship to us. This is the last time I write a number for our relationships, since this map shows it.

2) Neighbours and near-neighbours by areas (allies). Underlined countries have land/strait border to Venice:

Italy:
Papal States -128
Aragon +29 (England -4, Brandenburg, Livonian Order, Brittany, Castile +16)
Venice (Naples +200 MA, Tuscany +192 MA)
Genoa +125 (Moldava -109)
Savoy +125 MA (Bohemia +109, Denmark, Scotland, Saxony, Austria +147 RM MA)
North:
Tyrol +95 RM (Bavaria +126, Berg, Palatinate, Bayreuth, Wirtemberg +125)
Danubian:
Hungary -47 RM
Balcan/Carpatian/Asia minor:
Bosnia +89 MA
Albania -200 (Cyprus +15 RM)
Wallachia -12
OE -200 (Qazak Horde, Transoxiana, Ramazan -200, Nubia)
Karaman -200
Mediterranean:
Egypt -164, Kara Koyunlu -199, Sirvan)
The Knights +165
Black sea:
Theodoros +10
Georgia, -104 (Muscowy, Tver)

3) Vassalages:
Wallachia and Bosnia are vassals of OE
Savoy and Wirtemberg are vassals of Tyrol
Moldava is a vassal of Lithuania
Naples and Tuscany are vassals of Venice
Ramazan is a vassal of Egypt
Bohemia is a vassals of Hungary
Sirvan is a vassal of Kara Koyunlu

4) Changes in our area:
Bosnia lost Croatia to Hungary
 
Code:
Election 19(?) end of war
1B
2C
3B
4: Kosovo (land connection), Bulgaria

Code:
Election 20(?) The albanian question 
1A

From the Ambassador's office
The ambassador was surprised to see a war being fought, this was due to his engagemets for the danish king in other italian nations, but nevertheless, the ambassador feels that the war should be concluded as soon as possible, he also feels that landing a army in Anatolia would be suicide, having tied this several times on his own simulation. The ambassador also sees the need for a continious land mass, as storms sometimes happen along the greek coast, and a continious land mass would also greatly help the flow of commerce, so vital to our republic.

Regarding Albania: The ambassador sees no need for the poor province of albania, and the albanians don't like us, so what is the reason for "Protecting" them.
 
Cornaro_G.gif


Rejoice, I say, rejoice. We conquer!

Dear Doge, I am exhausted just in listening to all that has transpired. Many are the choices before us and I am not sure that any of us can adequately see far into the future to know what our choices may entail.

Well done, Capitano Fodoroni, long have you served well in our service and long may you and your ancestors be blessed by our Republic. We knew going in that our armies may meet some defeat in battle and that our enemy had greater resources (this time!) than us. And yet we did prevail, against all odds, left alone by the Christian world (indeed, we see the foul stench of the faith of some as when the miserable Magyars declared war on Austria, our friend, at this time of crisis with the infidel), yet our armies and navies did prevail.

But the war has been costly and I think now is the right moment to bow out. Father Carlo foretold you all that we would not win this ultimate battle in one fell blow, but that two or perhaps three conflicts awaited us. Already the turk has struck at us in our smaller locations, so we are in war #3 already. Yet, we have come out victorious.

I am concerned with the offer of far-off Sochi. But I see that if we attempt to re-negotiate, we will receive far less than what we want. We WANT THE TURK OUT OF EUROPE. And, in the long term view, by the infidel maintaining Serbia and Macedonia, that merely opens the door for us to strike again in the next 10-25 years and gain that last territory, removing him from Europe. I say we take his offer and end the war for now.


Election 19
1. B
2. C
3. A
4. Kosovo, Bulgaria

But what of Sachi? I would see nothing wrong with leaving it undefended and either letting it be bait for the infidel to DoW us or letting it revolt away. Who knows, maybe it would remain from now till eternity and in that distant day when some of you wish to control Kerch, it could be of use. But I would NOT waste money on a TC or on troops there!

And this entire event of course leads us to the issue of Albania. See how our strong action has found favor in the eyes of God? Skanderbeg knew of our faith and efforts against our common enemy. And now he has bequeathed to us the ability to save Albania from the infidel. However, I am not sure that I understand all of the choices before us, or perhaps I wonder if different choices are really before us.

Father continues to share news from Cyprus that events there are possibly moving in a direction that could favor us, so is it not possible that the Cyprus-Albanian alliance could turn in our favor? Perhaps the alliance will break on its own accord? I suppose I wonder why we should have to move now, at this exact moment?

Yes, I do believe that we should incorporate them into our glorious Republic. My father has long said so! But are we in a time crunch to deal with this now? I didn't see any kind of hint that we had only a few months. And so what if the Turk DoWs Albania or tries to annex her. That will just be one more provocation for us against them. Is there an option on this vote that says "Albania matters to us, but not for us to worry about at this very moment?" :)

Election 20
1.B
2.C We should wait on events to transpire in Cyprus and with the Albanian-Ottoman War. To DoW them now worries me about events in Cyrpus. If I can't vote this way, then reluctantly I would say B, but make it quick and painless.
3. B--as long as the final step of annexation is in the 20 year view on this question. I see no reason to take such a relations hit worldwide to simply annex them outright.
Doge, I am sorry to raise questions here and potentials, particularly related to Cyprus, but my family has money, land and honor at stake here. We know that more conflict with the Bey is coming. Our "gift" of Albanian culture will not leave us. We have time, I think, to let events transpire. Remember, all, with new lands will come new costs in the forms of TCs and such.

Much to contemplate, but again I say rejoice. Many of you doubted. We have prevailed!