It all started in 1419, as the Duchy of Athens cancelled the vassalisation they had with Tuscany. The alliance held and relations with Tuscany was at status-quo. The future seemed bright for Athens.
To our south were the last remaints of the East Roman empire, to our west was Albania, to our east was the islands that belonged to us, and to the north were the infidels, realms controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
Target aquired. Albania.
But before our army had finished it's restructuring, the Ottomans attacked Byzantium, forcing them to secede Morea to the Ottomans. A blow to security for Athens, but nothing to do about it. Our eyes were geared towards Albania.
On April the 13th, in the lords year 1420, a friday, we attacked Albania. Naples joined the war on the same side as Albania, but Tuscany, on my side, would deal with them. Albania was mine.
But in June, when our army arrived in Albania, it was routed. Beaten! As the shock reached Athens, the duke only sent out one command. "Attack again!"
In october, after resupplies, reinforcements and most of all, a "remoralification", our troops attacked again and were victorious. Albania was under siege, but only a month later, so was Athens, by the remainder of the Albanian forces. They were numerically in a disadvantage however, and they were left alone. The defenders of Athens would deal with them.
The Albanians soon understood a siege would be useless and abandoned it. Now started a period of skirmishes and small battles in the mountains of Albania. This continued for a year until in September 1421, the Ottoman empire declared war on us! The heathens!
Three months later, Albania was under complete Athenian control, and was summarily annexed. Our starved army could do nothing however, and Athens fell to Ottoman forces in February 1422. Their army marched towards Albania, but before they got there, our army boarded the fleet captured from the Albanians and set sail for Morea. A game of maneuvers was the war now. We could not lose the army that was so precious to us. To top it all off, we even had to take a loan from the Venetians to cover our war expenses.
Thus it went. Until september 1424. Tuscany had fallen to the Ottomans and was annexed. The Pope was reportedly furious! Then, in March 1425, Albania fell and in the following peace treaty pushed onto us, Albania was now under the Ottomans.
Weakened to the extreme, unable to pay off loans and ignored by the rest of Christendom, we lived our silent lives in Athens, surrounded by enemies on all sides, except to the east. The Venetians who controlled the Cyclades were only marginal enemies.
The Ottomans expanded rapidly in Asia Minor at the expense of Trabizond and Dulkadir, and in Christendom, Serbia and Wallachia soon fell to the Ottoman hordes. We were just waiting in line.
And thus it came to be, in April 1437, that the Ottomans declared war again. With no allies, the fight was short, and not even desperate. The duchy ceased to exist, and the Ottomans went on with their crusade.
To our south were the last remaints of the East Roman empire, to our west was Albania, to our east was the islands that belonged to us, and to the north were the infidels, realms controlled by the Ottoman Empire.
Target aquired. Albania.
But before our army had finished it's restructuring, the Ottomans attacked Byzantium, forcing them to secede Morea to the Ottomans. A blow to security for Athens, but nothing to do about it. Our eyes were geared towards Albania.
On April the 13th, in the lords year 1420, a friday, we attacked Albania. Naples joined the war on the same side as Albania, but Tuscany, on my side, would deal with them. Albania was mine.
But in June, when our army arrived in Albania, it was routed. Beaten! As the shock reached Athens, the duke only sent out one command. "Attack again!"
In october, after resupplies, reinforcements and most of all, a "remoralification", our troops attacked again and were victorious. Albania was under siege, but only a month later, so was Athens, by the remainder of the Albanian forces. They were numerically in a disadvantage however, and they were left alone. The defenders of Athens would deal with them.
The Albanians soon understood a siege would be useless and abandoned it. Now started a period of skirmishes and small battles in the mountains of Albania. This continued for a year until in September 1421, the Ottoman empire declared war on us! The heathens!
Three months later, Albania was under complete Athenian control, and was summarily annexed. Our starved army could do nothing however, and Athens fell to Ottoman forces in February 1422. Their army marched towards Albania, but before they got there, our army boarded the fleet captured from the Albanians and set sail for Morea. A game of maneuvers was the war now. We could not lose the army that was so precious to us. To top it all off, we even had to take a loan from the Venetians to cover our war expenses.
Thus it went. Until september 1424. Tuscany had fallen to the Ottomans and was annexed. The Pope was reportedly furious! Then, in March 1425, Albania fell and in the following peace treaty pushed onto us, Albania was now under the Ottomans.
Weakened to the extreme, unable to pay off loans and ignored by the rest of Christendom, we lived our silent lives in Athens, surrounded by enemies on all sides, except to the east. The Venetians who controlled the Cyclades were only marginal enemies.
The Ottomans expanded rapidly in Asia Minor at the expense of Trabizond and Dulkadir, and in Christendom, Serbia and Wallachia soon fell to the Ottoman hordes. We were just waiting in line.
And thus it came to be, in April 1437, that the Ottomans declared war again. With no allies, the fight was short, and not even desperate. The duchy ceased to exist, and the Ottomans went on with their crusade.
