When the Signoria proposed the illustrious and wise senators a campaign against our life-long enemies, the Genoese, I was surprised by the alliance between the senators of the Golden Party and the Blue Party to support this war.
Few times a war against one of our neighbours has been so popular in this Consigglio. The unity between all Venetians was very auspicious. Because of it, it is very hard for me to bring you such bad news today.
Senators, the war is a disaster. After five years at war we still have not achieved our goals. The flower of our youth lays wasted in the shores of the Black Sea. The fortress of Kerch still resists us. I am speechless and covered in shame. The law forbids me from resigning to my position as your doge, otherwise I would not be speaking today at this Council. I will leave to Capitano Generale Fodoroni, who shares responsibility for this failure, to fill in the details of the on-going campaign in the other thread, but I will give you the political situation of these last five years.
While the war started very promising to us, a meteor sighting in December 1494 was justly considered a bad omen, decreasing the stability in our realm. Despite it, our Greek subjects showed their loyalty by converting to the true religion in Ionia and Morea, while the traitors in Macedonia not only refused to convert, but took the arms against us and had to be subdued by force. In the international front, our diplomacy was unable to sabotage the peace agreement between the Ottoman Empire and Hungary, whose weak new king inexplicably surrendered Bosnia despite being in a promising war situation, due to the many defeats that the Genoese and the Knights had accumulated against the Turk.
Despite being knee-deep into a dragging war, a Foreign drill instructor offer was rejected in 1496, for being considered outrageous. We will have to do with national instructors that are deemed adequate for their cost.
Again the traitors in Macedonia rebelled in 1497, followed by a demonstration of unhappiness among peasantry for the duress of the war. The peasant rebellion in Firenze was also squashed. We should be aware that our subjects will not tolerate this war for much longer.
And now the bad news. Due to war mounting costs, administrative salaries have been cut, payment on state bonds suspended, our inflation has risen by 1.2% to a 6.0% and we are requesting donations of money and personal jewelry to contribute to the war effort. Our commerce has suffered considerably from the war, as many sailors and merchant galleys have been conscripted. Our Trade has diminished by a 15%.
In the chapter of war casualties, both by attrition and in combat, we have lost the staggering number of 46,000 infantry and 22,000 cavalry. Fortunately our navy has fared better and we have lost only 5 galleys. So the cost of the war (in thousands of ducats) can be summarized as:
Code:
war extra land maintenance: 218D
war extra naval maintenance: 96D
Lost infantry: 690D
Lost cavalry: 704D
Lost galleys: 50D
Lost trade (estimate): 112D
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Total cost: 1,870D
This cost does not take into account the 1.2% inflation incurred or the loss of income due to increased war-exhaustion and enemy looting in Lombardia. Even if we acquire the Center of Trade at Kerch, it will be a long time before we can recover this expense.
This is indeed a dark hour for Venice. When the Signoria became aware that the Genoese were going to present a desperate resistance in Kerch, a decision had to be taken. Wether to continue the war knowing that it would be long and expensive (just how long we couldn't imagine) or to call it off and accept the cash compensations that Genoa was willing to pay. After the loses outlined above, no cash compensation could be accepted by the Signoria, and only the acquisition of Kerch will be considered a partial compensation.