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Barbarigo.gif
Pascal Barbarigo​

Year 1474:
Important international events nearby
Hungary DoW Bosnia
Austria, Savoy, Denmark, Scotland & Saxony DoW Hungary

Senators, this is yet another example why we shouldn't ally the troublesome Hungarians, nor the Austrians. They will drag us into numerous unwanted conflicts.
At last, I can hold that party. It will be in honor of the brave Fodorini of course. All welcome tomorrow at dawn to my palace! I promise a grand feast, to take our minds from all the warfare. I am glad to be able to welcome junior members of the Medici and Visconti families, eager to imporve their connections with our nobles.
 
[size=+1]1478 Report (December)[/size]

1478c.jpg

Economy
Stability +3
Stability cost = ?/level
Treasury = 192D
Inflation 6.2

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
1473    15
1478    17

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
1473     113.76     102.01    17.0
1478     163.96     116.53    20.5

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
1473      18.4      9.3       3.7     0.0     32.0       -3.9
1478      30.4     11.7      12.6     0.0     55.1       -4.0

31 merchants in CoTs (+18). 4.6 merchants/year
cost of placement is 4-7 in Italy, 7-8 in Europe, 17-24 Rest of the world.
Trade efficiency is 60% (first nation).

National
Monarch Giovanni Mocenigo
Military Average (5)
Administrative Average (5)
Diplomacy Average (6)

Code:
Domestic policies:
Year 1400 +       19 23 28 33 38 43 48 53 58 63 68 73 78
Aristocracy        4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  5  -  -  -
Centralization     3  4  -  -  -  -  -  5  -  7  6  -  5
Innovative         4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  5  -
Mercantilism       5  -  4  5  -  -  -  -  -  6  -  -  -
Offensive          2  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  4  -  -
Land               2  -  3  2  -  -  1  -  -  2  -  -  -
Quality            6  -  7  6  7  -  6  -  -  7  -  8  -
Serfdom            4  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  -  3  2  1  -


Technology + % of next level (estimated date, current investment)
Land 3 + 24% (1496, 10%)
Naval 3 + 58% (1489, 15%)
Trade 4 + 7% (1578, 40%)
Production 3 + 18% (1523, 35%)

Manufactories:
Refinery in Crete (finished in 1456)
Weapons manufactory in Veneto (by event, 1473)
Refinery in Morea (finished in 1478)

Military

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

Leaders:
Roberto Sanseverino (land) 3,3,3

Army 12k infantry, 19k cavalry
maintenance cost at 50% 2.6 D/month
Army support limit = 64 000 (15 000 from trade)
Cost of army units:
Infantry 15D
Cavalry 28D

Navy 7 warships, 56 galleys, 15 transports
maintenance cost at 50% 1.4 D/month
Navy support limit = 146
Cost of naval units:
warships 48D
Galleys 10D

Manpower = 14
Manpower pool = 29,000 (14,000/year)

International

1) Standing
Cores (Permanent CB): Cyprus (Cyprus)
Allies: Naples
Bad Boy 12.8/36 tarnished
Permanent CB: Cyprus, Genoa
Temporary CB: Burgundy (September 1479), Ramazan (October 1480)

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

1478d.jpg

Dark Green represents countries with > +150 relationship to us. Light Green represents countries with +75 to +150 relationship to us. White countries have -75 to +75 relationship to us. Bright red countries have between -75 and -150 relationship to us, and dark red countries have < -150 relationship to us.

Notice how the annexation of Tuscany has worsened all our relationships. Now we are surrounded by mortal enemies.

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

Italy:
Papal States
Aragon (Spain)
Venice (Naples MA)
Genoa (The Knights, Hungary RM)
Savoy MA (Denmark, Scotland, Saxony, Austria RM MA)
North:
Tyrol RM (Bavaria, Berg, Palatinate, Wirtemberg, Brittany)
Danubian:
Balcan/Carpatian/Asia minor:
Albania
Wallachia
OE (Transoxiana, Ramazan)
Mediterranean:
Egypt (Kara Koyunlu, Sirvan, Oman, Yemen)
Cyprus RM
Black sea:
Georgia (Theodoros, Moldavia)

3) Vassalages:
Wallachia and Ramazan are vassals of OE
Savoy and Wirtemberg are vassals of Tyrol
Naples, Albania and Cyprus are vassals of Venice
Bohemia is a vassals of Poland
Sirvan is a vassal of Kara Koyunlu

4) Changes in our area:
Cyprus became a vassal of Venice
Tyrol lost Lombardia to Venice
Tuscany was annexionated by Venice
Bosnia was annexionated by Hungary
Karaman was annexionated by Ramazan
Austria lost Steiermark & Odenburg to Hungary
 
OT: Hurra! You (and we) are doing a great work! A provocation: why don't restore some forgotten grand title for the Venetian Doge!?! Two come to my mind in particular: King of Italy (even if Venice wasn't never part of the Kingdom of Italy) or Roman Emperor. Venetia was the heir of Byzanthium, wasn't it?
 
Barbarigo.gif
Pascal Barbarigo​

We are indeed gathering enemies, perhaps we have grown too fast? Oh, I'm always too cautious, even my wife thinks so at times. The brutal attack on the Queen Caterina Cornaro must be avenged, we owe this to the the distinguished family of Corner. He should be forced to become our vassal, that would surely keep him from plotting against us with our enemies. The Pope on one side, and the Habsburg and their ally on the other. It surely doesn't look too promising. We should allways keep the army well prepared and with plenty of funds, should we find ourselves in a war soon.
However, the Genoese seems to have let their greed speak, and thrown diplomatic skill out of the window. Their embargo against us, in their two rich centers of trade, have given us a just casus belli. Little brother Mocenigo, will you make use of it?
 
Cornaro_G.gif


Some things we can control---others we cannot. Tyrol attacked us, we must remember, thus that action is not our fault.

However, it is clear that the speed of recent actions certainly have impacted some in our region since we have a tarnished relationship. We need to be very wiley at this point. I fully agree with Pascal that we had better keep our armies at full strength.

It is also obvious, at least to me, where the next blow will fall. Our long enemy in Hungary looms large. It was surprising to me how easily they defeated the Austrian alliance. Perhaps my thoughts about a future Hapsburg tyranny are misguided. If there is no Austria in the coming future, well. . .

In any case, you should easily remember part of the warning of my father Carlo--one reason for his desire to have action in the Balkans was to provide us a buffer of unassailable provinces when we ventured into Italy. Now look at the map of the region. Hungary only need to strike at Dalmatia or Istria to cut us in half. They control the gold of Steirmark; they have stolen the independence of Bosnia. I see no reason why they won't strike hard at us soon. And we had better be ready.

There is no reason to fear or make rash action. If we bide our time, grow stronger economically, wait for appropriate moments (and for our bad boy reputation to decrease some), then a day still looms when all of Hungary's southern border (Steirmark through Bosnia) will gladly receive entrance into our Republic, thus building our base of troops and strength for our future. But we must move wisely now or all could be lost quickly.

And do not hear my father's strong words against the Papal States as a call to arms NOW. Even in his last days on this earth, he knows that our future in Italy should be later, not now. Already we are probably over-extended in Italy. We should NOT ask for annexation of Naples at this point. We SHOULD make sure Albania joins the alliance to protect her. Events in Cyprus are moving well for us, so we need to make sure we leave well enough alone there. And we cannot forget that the infidel still looms.

Restrain your aggression Doge. Move cautiously. Do not let the silly embargo of Genoa force your hand. They will be there later. It is only a small slight.

Eduardo Cornaro, now ready for the party of Pascal, ready to dance with the daughters of Barbarigo
 
I would certainly attack Genoa, knowing that I would have the strong support of many in the Senate, you my friend Barbarigo, and senator Dandolo no doubt, between them. Alas we are wasting fortunes to keep the Kastrioti of Albania within our orbit, and Alfonso of Naples will require equally outrageous sums for the same purpose. Our relationship with Alfonso has sunk from +200 to +87, probably because they fear a similar fate to Tuscany. It is imperative that our relationship is restored before our alliance expires, or Aragon or the Pope will declare war to him the following day, given his weakness.

All this expenses are postponing our rearming, and our armies are at their lowest in the last 30 years, since the end of the war against Medici, Aragon and the Pope:

1478 12k inf. + 19k cav.
1473 16k inf. + 20k cav.
1468 13k inf. + 24k cav.
1463 16k inf. + 29k cav.
1458 21k inf. + 19k cav.
1453 21k inf. + 19k cav.
1448 14k inf. + 15k cav.

Our forces are barely enough to keep the order in our dominions, yet all our money is being diverted to incorporate Naples and Albania to our empire. An urgent matter that should not be postponed. We are not being helped by the Doges that this noble Consiglio is electing, many of them being diplomatically challenged to put it mildly. We have restored our merchants network, seriously damaged by our low stability and our three recent wars. This is bringing badly needed revenues into the Serenissima. I must inform that everybody is at land 4, and even the Turks are already at 5, while we will be at 3 for the next 20 years. Our religious diversity and the stability costs that it carries constitutes our Achilles' heel, since when it sinks we are forced to abandon our research for several years.

Notwithstanding, our situation is far from desperate. The incorporation of the really rich provinces of Lombardia and Firenze will compensate for some really poor ones that we hold. We are the third richest nation in the world (after China and Burgundy), and a little bit of minting will bring enough revenues to get us out of any difficult situation we might find ourselves in.

However it would be unwise to seek a war against Hungary, allied to Genoa, as senator Cornaro points out. For many years we have tried to improve our relationship to them through marriages to no avail. We have saved them from the Turkish menace only to breed a new monster. They have quickly swallowed Bosnia and seriously wounded Austria [although Steiermark has no gold, the gold is in Tirol in AGCEEP]. They have a big standing army and permanent "casus belli" on us. We share a very large border with them and we would likely see hundreds of thousands of their men pouring over it into Dalmatia, Istria and Veneto, again as wisely Eduardo Cornaro warns us. And above all, we have much to lose and little to win from such a war, since even if we achieve victory, their poor provinces that border ours, are more trouble than they are worth it.

I will however keep a vigilant eye on Genoa while slowly rearming ourselves, not to raise suspicions. Alliances sometimes break. Our spies will gather military intelligence, and if a good oportunity comes, I will use the instructions from the Senate or bring the case for a special election if it is not a clear-cut case.

As a Doge, I am known to use commercial excuses to start a war, as Ferrara might soon discover. Ercole d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara is starting to act provocatively after many years of good relationship. He has erected salt-pans at the delta of the Po, violating our centuries-old monopoly on salt extraction. Perhaps he believes the support of his father in-law Ferrante of Naples will allow him such behavior. But Pope Sixtus IV (Francesco della Rovera) is famous for having lots of nephews, some of them surprisingly alike to him, and for his nepotism. He is trying to place them as princes all over Italy. This year, one of them, Girolamo Riario, was involved in the Pazzi conspiracy in Florence, that almost costed Lorenzo de Medici his life. And now Sixtus is thinking in making him Marquis of Ferrara, but for that he needs somebody to dispose of the current one, Ercole. This could all work very well for Venice, since the support of the Pope can win a war.

Mocenigo2.gif
Giovanni Mocenigo, LXXII Dux Venetiarum. Dec. 1478.
72.jpg
 
[size=+1]Election 27. 1479-1499 Domestic Policies changes[/size]

1) Indicate what the next three sliders movements should be. I will first select the three most popular movements and then I will order them according to their frecuencies. Repetitions within the same ballot will be considered separately. For example a vote:
will not count as two votes for one increase in centralization, but will count as one vote for two increases in centralization and on the third movement an increase for aristocracy. Use (L-) for an increase in Naval for example.

Initials and current values are:
(A)ristocracy 5
(C)entralization 5
(I)nnovativeness 5
(M)ercantilism 6
(O)ffensive 4
(L)and 2
(Q)uality 8
(S)erfdom 1

A kindly remind, not to be taken as an attempt to influence your choice, but as necessary information for a better vote is that any diplomatic annexation will cost us one reduction in centralization. We have two more planned annexations in the coming 30 years: Naples and Albania.


[size=+1]Election 28. 1469-1479 International Situation[/size]

This election is to orient the work of our diplomats and advance our goals. State as many countries as you want that we should befriend or attack according to the following categories.

1. Dear Friends. Countries that we should try to ally (or keep in the alliance), marry and get military access with. Look in the report for CBs and current relationships.

2. Friends. Countries that we want to keep good relationships and marry, but we don't want in our alliance.

3. Adversaries. Countries that we would like to hit if the conditions are right, but are not currently direct targets. Military access is not out of the question since we don't plan to DoW them but could find at war with them.

4. Enemies. Countries that we should get at war with, if the conditions are right. This should include countries that are not strictely enemies, but that we could take a province or vassalize to pursue long term goals.

5. Warmonger clause. Enter (War) if you believe we should declare war under the right circumstances in this period to advance our goals. Enter (Peace) if you believe we should remain at peace during this period, unless attacked. Voting War does not mean we will go to war, it means we will not let a good oportunity of declaring war to a ripe target escape. Such opportunity may not present itself.

Remember that this is an important election, since events are possible that could grant us a CB depending on our choice, or a temporary CB could come along and your choices will let me know what the senate wants. As a general rule I will not DoW without a CB, and I will not DoW countries outside 3) or 4) even if CB, and I will not DoW if 5) Peace. As always, special circumstancies will be brought to the senate for discussion.
 
Cornaro_G.gif

Where is Senator Dandolo? These are critical times and his voice has been very silent!

Election 27
O(-1)
S (-1)
L (-1)

election 28
1. Naples, Albania, Cyprus
2. Bavaria, France, Bohemia, Austria, Castille, Portugal, Aragon, Savoy
3. Hungary, Genoa, Papal States, OE, Tyrol, Burgundy
4. NONE--We need to stay at PEACE for the next 10 years to recover
5. Peace
 
Captain General,

A question, do we have full tolerance for Catholics? This might help our relations recover.

Respectfully,

Arturo Gandolfi
 
We have not decided to try to make Albania join our empire, have we? The election was only to bring them into our alliance, right?
Albania is poor and will be more profitable as a vassal; than raising our tech and stab cost, and provide for bad relations with all Christians and badboy, if annexed.
 
Norrefeldt said:
We have not decided to try to make Albania join our empire, have we? The election was only to bring them into our alliance, right?
Albania is poor and will be more profitable as a vassal; than raising our tech and stab cost, and provide for bad relations with all Christians and badboy, if annexed.

I agree with Senator Norrefeldt on this. Albania should stay as a vassal, they have wrong religion and culture for us. We might not even want to add them to the alliance. We could just guarantee their independence.

AG
 
Dear fellows,

I agree with you that our current situation doesn't permit further wars, particularly a "sandwich one" against Genoa, Hungary and - don't forget - the Knights, that generally have huge navies and have a stronghold difficult to take over. But I disagree on the fate of Albania: if I recall correctly, our scholars and merchants managed to study and assimilate albanian culture some time ago (perhaps I'm in fault). If it's right, I would suggest - instead of holding a nonstate Kosovo (without taking in consideration its religion! it could be orthodox or even Sunni!) - to annex in a friendly way Albania. Territorial continuity would be saved but with a better effect on stability. In my opinion Kosovo should be removed creating together with the province of Serbia (when conquered) a useful cushion vassal state (uhm, I'm not sure we can release a 2-provs Serbia).

Cristoforo Moro
Senator and Absent Governor of Thessalonica (where I gladly married after the end of the war vs. the Turks, I've been away in honey moon in the meantime :p )


Code:
Election 28:
Dear friends: Naples, Albania
Friends: Austria, Savoy, France
Enemies: Pope, Aragon, Knights
"Dear" enemies: Turks, Genoa
Peace, peace, peace
 
Our religious tolerance stays at 75% for Catholics and 75% for Orthodox. The problem is that we have as many orthodox provinces as catholic ones. Religious troubles in the future may allow for more tolerance to our subjects, but taking over muslim subjects will remain very problematic.

Your Doge intends to annex Naples as soon as possible, since it is a very weak link in our chain, very desired by Aragon and the Pope. After that Albania will be brought into our alliance also as soon as possible. The annexation of Albania will be decided in election, since we do have Albanian culture, yet we could very easily lose it if the Albanians feel that they are not under our protection.
 
Ah, my mistake, I thought we had lost Albanian culture.

Perhaps, since we plan a period of peace, now is the time to try and convert some of our Greek subjects to the true faith (before they grow and get expensive). If we converted two or three provinces, we would have more freedom with our Orthodox tolerance.

Arturo Gandolfi
 
[size=+2]
Senators, casual readers!
The Republic needs your votes. Otherwise a paralysis will invade this body, incapable of taking any decision. Join the Consiglio and vote!
[/size]
 
Fodoron said:
[size=+2]
Senators, casual readers!
The Republic needs your votes. Otherwise a paralysis will invade this body, incapable of taking any decision. Join the Consiglio and vote!
[/size]

DITTO DITTO DITTO DITTO

Heck, right now, this thread is the only reason I come back in here. I so enjoy our time together, but maybe other people have issues that are keeping them from us. However, I miss them and the witty reparte. Very significantly missing is lawkeeper, but there are others. And anyone else who reads along can simply cast your vote. We need you to join in the fun!!