ImpAARial Italy

1 January, 1508

Ludovico il Moro sat in his bed coughing. He had gotten some unknown disease and he had not been able to get out of bed since Christmas. Ludovico il Moro had no heir and his closest reletive Ercole Massimliano was to take the throne. He now sat by the bed of the dying King. Ludovico il Moro past after a violent coughing fit lasting several cruel hours. The King of Itay had died without even sitting on the Italian throne for nine months.

The young nation was now in mourning of its first King but the King was soon forgotten when a drop in the prices in the clothing industry led to unhappy merchants. The rioting merchants marched all the way from Genoa to Milano. The new King was very unsure of what to do and agreed with their demands reducung government taxation on the clothing merchants. The King was humiliated and never thought of as well as his successor and many were glad when he died in October 1515.

After the death of Ercole the weak a new leader emerged Francesco II Maria. Italy was unprepared for this new powerful leader who would more then double the size of the Italian Empire. And lead Italy into a war with its powerful neighbor France.

April 5, 1525

Francesco II Maria sat at his throne in Milan and he couldn't help but be pleased with himself. The Tuscan King, Neopolitan King, and the Pope were all there. First the Pope marched up to the pedestal and lay the crown to the Papal States. Next to march up was the Tuscan King. He marched sadly up to the second pedestal and lay his crown upon it. He turned and scooted away. Finally the Neopolitan King came up and layed his crown upon the final pedastal. He was now the lone ruler of Italy. Now he could begin to expell all none Italians from the Italian islands; Sicily, Piemonte, and Sardinia.

The army was moving to the border with France to reclaim Piemonte. Within a couple months the invasion of France would begin...

I did leave Siena out of "The Boring Years" but what happend is that they were annexed by Tuscany(peacefully).

And the way it works in EEP (IIRC) is you need at least four of these provinces; Lombardia, Piemonte, Liguria, Manuta, And Emilia. I think thats all of them. There are different ones (from peaceful to agressive). You get Core provinces with Mantua, Genoa, Piemonte, Emilia, Siena, and Firenze. Thats pretty much it. Franco-Italian War later on today.

The Franco-Italian War began on 6 June, 1527. Despite the declaration of war the first battle would not commence until July 4, 1527 when thirteen Italian warships broke the French blockade on Genoan trade. The first battle was a decisive victory. The French were humiliated and continued to attack despied the fact their broken navy was no longer a threat.

Four days afterwards the Army of Milano had reached Piemonte and was met by only 3,000 border guards. They were swept aside with little diffuculty and Piemonte was put under siege. The year of 1527 ended with the Italians in control of the land and sea.

By June 1528 Piemonte had fallen and the Italian populous couldn't have been happier. But the war was taking its toll and the combination of sending food overseas to the troops and the dry year in Quatar brought about a large famine that killed off more then 500 people. This was devestating to Quatar region because the population wasn't much more then 5,000 after the famine.

The Army was in very good spirits and demanded that they take the war to Marseilles. THe army arrived in mid-September and laid seige to the.city. Marseilles had a very large port and could supply itself from the sea. It was important that the supply lanes were cut to the city. The thirteen warships moved into a blocking position and began to actually bombard the town. It was at this time fifteen ships arrived from Poitiers to destroy the young Italian fleet.

On the 30th of September the ships arrived and engaged the Italians; the French charged on the Italians immediantly and were able to sink one battleship. The battle then ground into a slugging match between the two navies and the Italians were able to sink a French battleship and the French began to withdraw. By 10-17-1529 both navies were out of ammuntion and withdrew to their respected ports for supplies and repairs. The most important battle at sea during the Franco-Italian War was now over and the remainingfive or so battles were merely skirmishes as the Italian fleet attempted to chase down the remaining French ships.

The war officially ended on October 19, 1529 as the Italians had just besieged Savoy and the French fleet was trying to avoid total destruction at the hands of the Italians. The French King decided it better to surrender a few lands then loose everything later. And so ended the Franco-Italian War (1527-1529) with the surrendering of Piemonte to Italy. Italy had won its first major war and it would soon continue to expand into its national boundries.

I'm not sure if i mentioned this or not but France isn't a big power at all. Burgandy and England beat France to a pulp and so when spain annexed burgandy France was cut in three small pieces.
1.Paris
2.Poitoi and maybe 4 other provinces
3.and the zone i attacked with provence,piemonte, and savoy.
So I wasn't really risking anything. I've played all the way up to 1579 some exiting stuff happend (at least for me)

Machiavellian:The official name is Italy and the flag is a red cross on top and halfway down it turns into a black eagle with yellow background.
Amric:Yes not including colonies, i may or may not make a crusade to the holy land...

10-7-1535

Francesco II Maria sat in a Carriage on his way to the Milanese Academy of Fine Arts. His wife sat across from him quietly thinking to herself. The Carriage finally came to a stop and the door opened. Francesco stepped out and marched to the podium cleared his throat and began to speak. The words continued to come out but Francesco's min wandered elsewhere. The past five years had been wthout violence in or around Italy, a diplomat to Delhi had exchanged maps of SE asia forthose of Europe, England turned its back on Christiantiy by forming the Church of England. To counter this move the Spanish had become the Defender of the Catholic Faith.

Francesco awoke from his day-dream halfway through his speach. He saw several blocks down a riot coming. Almost instantly the streets were cleared of the nobles attending and he could easily see the peasants marching in the direction of the Academy.

"Guards!" Francesco yelled, and sixteen men moved in front of him. Eight men each with an Arquebus moved in a line and in front of them were eight pikemen. The Arquebus let out a volley and several rioters hit the dirt. The rioters charged at the position and the Pikemen impaled the first few. The Pikemen could not free their Pikes from the first group of rioters and they beat down with clubs and pitchforks.

Francesco drew his sword and began to slowly move back from the front entrance deeper into the Academy. The rioters were done with the guards now and ran into the fine arts academy. The soon overwhelmed the two security guards and continued to attack Francesco. He was now out of the back of the Academy in the alley where he was now surrounded on all sides by the rebel scum. He stood his ground and was able to fight off three at three and kill two before he was hit in the back of the head with a thick piece of wood. He now hit the dirt and was being beat with everything they had. He felt several knives hit him in the back.

He knew he was only inches away from death when the beating stopped. He didn't know what was happening but he was now being dragged about with he feet back into the street. He saw the guards hanging from lanterns and immediantly knew he was going to be lynched. One of the men threw a rope over a tree branch and wrapped it around Francesco's neck. One of the bigger men pulled the rope and Francesco felt his feet lift off the ground and his air get cut off. All of the sudden the beating resummed. The went black in several mintues and he never woke up again.

Charles III le Bon took the throne the next day and bruitly crushed the revolts using the full force of the Army of Milano; 33,000 strong. The rebels who numbered only several thousand didn't stand a chance. The rebellion called for an end to feudalism and although the rebellion was crushed Charles III didn't forget the reasons for the rebellion and in seven months (5-2-1536) The GReat trade reforms were imposed freeing up much trade and lowering government regualtions. This sparked new Middle-Class who gradually dominate the citizen class in the coming centuries.

And so ended the reign of Francesco the Pinata (as he became to be known) one of the most influencial figures in Italian history if not the world as the monarchies of Europe refused to leave there thrones and further increasing guards to consolidate there power. Which would further alienate the Monarchs from the problems of the common peasant.

yaay 1000 post now to celebrate somthing fun AND random

right here

6-1-1536

Almost a month after the great trade reforms Charles III le Bon's wife a woman of Bavarian nobility commited suicide. She was a beutiful Charles III always saying how she was the most beutiful woman since Hellen of Troy. He would shower her with gifts and expensive trips but she secretly hated Charles III. She called him spoiled and often had temper tantrums over small things.

After the death he settled into a state of depression and anger he would lash out at servents and since the assasination of Francesco II Maria he had been to afraid to leave his palace.

By September Charles III decided Italy could best be used as a cash cow to be milked for his own personal gains. He ordered the construction of a royal Vineyards several miles outside Firenze. THis nearly bankrupted the country but it mattered little to him. In two years it was finished and Charles III drank himself into a stupor the nobles took advantage of him further drainng the Italian treasury.

The situation had gotten so bad that Venice cancelled their alliance with Italy in March 1540. Without the alliance and free trade agreements the cost of grain rose and with the country in no position to pay extra or grow its own the Italian Charles III simply cancelled the agreement he didn't know of the problems of the peasants and middle class every night he had a feast so howw bad could it be for everyone else.

The situation got much worse in August 1540 when the a bad harvest year lowered the amount of grain and about 1000 died of food shortages. Charles III decides this as his moment to wake up from his depressing state and bring the country back up to par.

But rather then goign back to the happy state he was in he decides to rule the state with an iron fist...

In June 6, 1541 Austria inherits Bohemia and fear grows that Austria will do something rsh against its neighbor to the south. About five months later a messenger comes from the former nation Bohemia. He asks for 75,000 dollars in todays money to fight the Austrians. Charles III decides to agree. Unfortunatly for Charles III this con artist moves to Lisbon where lives in high comfort for the rest of his days.

With all of Europe laughing at him Charles III decideds he needs a daring expedition to win back his people and respect of the European nations. The expedition will start in Italian middle-east and sail for the Island south of India know as Sri Lanke.

THe expedition arrives on September 12, 1543. Colonel Varese lands in Columbo and is met by some 15,000 warriors. He prepares his troops for battle and kills 800 Indians while loosing only 430 men. At the end of September the remaining 14,200 launch an assault ont the Italian camp and kill the remaining Italians. The Italians only killed 200 before they were overwhelmed and destroyed.

3-13-1547

A clever Italain diplomat stole maps of all SouthEast asia from one of there small empires. When he went to the Emporer he feigned interest in a trade agreement and when the Emperor turned arund to write the agreement the diplomat tied up the Emperor stole a map of SE Asia and walked out the door. On the way he told the guard that "The Emporer is not to be disturbed" and went on his way.

This was news that Charles III enjoyed hearing. This helped even though only a little bit restore some Italian reletions with the European nations showing how clever Italians were. It was even made into a short play for the diplomats to perform or as a play for school children. But Charles III realized that such things would soon be forgotten, to truely be consideed among the great powers te would have to defeat another great power namely Spain and her ally England. But Italy was not to be alone in this war, they had regathered a group of misfit nations to help destroy Spainish and Englisg power the nations included Venice, Eirem and the Knights. The ships were prepared thousands called into service and by April 1547 all that was needed was the declaration of war from the King...

ladyfabia:Thanks

On April 2nd Italy, Venice, Eire, and the Knights formally declared war on the Madrid-London Axis. The Italian planners were hoping the Spanish would take nearly a year to assemble a fleet and deploy it to the Med. The Italian plan was to seize Sardinia, Sicily, and Malta before the Spainish could assemble real resistence.

By May 30th the famed Army of Milano arrived in Western Sicily and attacked the 4,000 Spainish troops. The Italians quickly idspatched them and laid seige to Messina and Siracusa.

By July 26th the Italians landed 10,000 men and 80 guns on Sardinia and laid seife to Caligari. A part of the Italian fleet moved off the port and began to bombard the population.

But not all was going as Italy had hoped; the Italians landed 14,000 men in Albania and crushed the Albanian guard. Within days of the attack the Italian, Venetian and the Knight's fleets were all sent to interecept and destroy the English fleet. The Italian fleet was the last to arrive on 20th of January. There was only ~14 ships for the Italian 30 to fight but the Spainis threw themselves with great ferocity agaisnt the superior fleet, but after seven days the Spainish and English fleet withdrew in confusion but not after sinking five Italian ships

The Italian fleet again went on the prowl for Spainish ships in the Western Mediteranean. The Italians didn't get another target until early March 1548. The remaining twenty-five ships intercepted the twenty-four off the West Coast of Sardinia. For the next eleven day the Italian ships poured hundreds of shots into each other but it in the end turned out to be indecisive as both sides retreated after running out of ammo and both sides loosing one ship.

By the end of March Messina had fallen to the Army of Milano and began the march to Palermo. The Italians met no resistense at Palermo and quickly laid seige to the city.

The Spainish King decided to send ~20,000 men to land in Genoa and push to Milano. With the fall of the capitol the Italians would be broken and woud agree to peace terms. But as the Spainish were preparing to unload at Genoa the twenty-four Italian ships arrived and engaged the 20 Spainish ones. Within a week the Italians had sunk three ships and several-thousand Spainish men washed up on the Italian shore.

and with that battle the campaign season ended and both nations regrouped for the next year...