The Knight..

In the year 1430 did our ruler start to refit the army to make it powerfull enough for the next step in this conflict.
Provinces all over the continent fell to the Ottoman empire and if we didn't do anything soon would we be the next kingdom to be attacked.
Our vaults were filled with gold and gem stones so we did not suffer from lack of money yet. We all knew that to bring the army to a fighting standard to take on the Ottoman empire wouldn't be an easy task.

In the year 1431 married our knight sir Nikodemus the daughter of an cousin to the king in Austria and we have managed to get closer to a great power in Europe.
We also got the sad news that Byzantium has fallen to the infidels. We tried and tried to get the royals of Byzantium to sign an alliance document so we togheter could have beaten back the infidels but no. I personally belive that the Ottoman empire had spies in the court of Byzantium that talked with false voices and broke the spirit to defend their country from the inside.
Within days was the war counsil gatherd and plans for another invasion of the Ottoman empire began.

Our forces stood ready and withing months would we declare on the Ottoman empire when a messenger from Cyprus are most devoted allied arrived outside the gates and demanded to talk to our leader.
He was granted access when the war minister heard what he wanted to ask our king.
We were at war but not with the Ottomans no but with Karaman. Cyprus decleard on them and now we saw an opportunity to gain foothold on the continent.
Within 2 months did our fleet set sail and headed for Adana with 10 000 men.
February 1436 landed 10 000 men on the shores of Adana and the siege began. No army met us and we captured the province within the year and moved on to Konya the province just north of Taurus Karamans capital city, our scouts reported a growing army in Taurus that would attack soon and they were right.
Three times they attacked and three times we fought and won and now was the capital unprotected and Konya fell within the year and the road to Taurus was wide open.
February 1439 three years after our invasion was Karaman defeated and they had to surrender Konya and Adana to us and we celebrated for a month.

We fought rebellions and improved the tax systems in our new provinces during 6 years until the Ottomans attacked us. We have encounterd cavalry charges for the first time and it was effective. We have soon lost our army in Konya and the province would soon follw since the forces in Adana was needed for the defence of the province.
Our fleet fought a battle against a numerous bigger fleet outside Rhodes and won and we gained important maps from the infidels but this victory at sea did not help a year later to save the remnants of the army in Adana we surrenderd and Konya became the Ottoman empires addition the the growing amount of provinces the crumbeld under the cavalry charge.

We still had Adana and that is a small victory in itself we had the foothold and the Adana citizens are far more loyal then the population in Konya. We will strike back.......

Year 1448 -1529

During the years from 1448 to 1457 did our people live in in peace with themselfes and neighbours. It was a time off glory for the common citizen.
Our war counsil knew better and prepared the defences for an attack from our enemies the Ottoman empire. Spies has been reporting that our infidel neighbours has started to draft large amount of people. Who blame them really we have taken some land and were now massing troops ourselves.

We strenghtend our fleet and two new warships was added Light and Seawind. Two mighty ships and our pride on the waters outside infidel coastlines. They proved themselves several times in fights with pirates.

2nd infidel invasion 1457-1459
Dark clouds was gathering again and in the year 1457 did they attack..the Ottoman empire. Massive armies broke the boarder to Adana in the early light.....the civilians from the country side was already gone when the infidels rannsacked thier homes in search for plunder. They were all safe behind the walls of Adana a christian bastion against the hoard.

It was a thursday when they arraived and the siege began. Our trusted leader played a dangerous game when he used Adanas armie to invade Kastamon in return. The armie was orderd to move fast and don't stop for anything..they hurried and in Angora they faced an defending Ottoman force but that didn't stop them. With the word hurry in their minds they just kept moving and lost the skirmish...the ottomans thought they had driven them away so they did not pursue the fleeing force that instead of turning to Adana kept moving north til they reached Kastamon and the siege began.

The suprise was total and the garrison in the besieged town didn't have any time to despatch any messengers that could ride for help...a few month later was the province in our hands.
Adana held and the Ottoman empire asked for peace and gave us gold to stop us from attacking.
We were very surprised by thier sudden request for peace but we went on with it because we had lost to many men to be abel to keep the war going over the winter.

During the peace after the 2nd infidel invasion did we use the money to strengthen the troops in the area, also our navy got two more warships to guard the coast of Rhodes.
The peace was uneasy and several outbreaks of revolts in Adana showed us that the Ottoman spies was at work trying to soften us from inside but all the rebellions was dealt with hard and leaders executed. Reinforced with troops from Rhodes did the army of Adana prepare for another war that soon would start.

3rd infidel invasion 1464-1468
again they came in hords and again we met them on the fields of battle.
Again was thier aim on the city of Adana and again the city was besieged. This time we made use of the Ottoman leaders tactics to leave everything undefended to concentrate all availbe forces on one target in this case Adana.
Our leader orderd 2 armies 1st Adana and 1st Rhodes to attack behind the invading infidels. This was also a high risk gambeling since the town would probably fall to the Ottomans. He knew that losing that province would probably throw the order away from the mainland forever.

1st Adan invaded Taurus and unopposed was the siege easy to the them no Ottoman offensive force was left.
1st Rhodes invaded Angora and lost 50% of the force due to an counter attack but won the battle and also the town.
Adana fell just shortly after and the Ottomans decided to stop...amazing. We took the chanse and invaded Kastamon and still not threatend by and force the province fell and the Ottomans again wanted peace and paid us in gold. The 3rd infidel invasion was over and we still held on to Adana.
Our leaders brilliant tactics and high risk gambling had paid off. We have also learnt that the Ottomans would give up easily if they lose something valuble to them.

We quickly rebuilt the army and the army expanded to be more then just a small defensive force it was now ready to invade. We massed the troops close to the boarder and waited for the right moment. The Ottoman empires forces were still to great in numbers to be dealt with.
Then a war..an alliance consisting of Genoa, Austria, Baden and Bohemia declared war upon the Ottomans! Was this a sign?
The year was 1472 and just a month after the outbreak we declared on the Ottomans aided by Venice and Cyprus.

1st Knights invasion of Infidel territory...1472-1477.
Without thinking twice our forces invaded in a full out assault with just recruits left to guard Adana.
Our forces took the field in 22 battles and the main spearhead of the Ottoman empire was broken in the south.
In 5 long years we roamed the battle fields and the provinces...and in the end of 1477 they surrender to our commander outside the city of Angora. We got Kastamon and Angora in the peace settelment. For the first time we felt that we now had a chanse of breaking the infidel control over the land surrounding us.........

And now I continue the hasty AAR..I need to learn on how to make proper AAR:s...but how can you learn when you don't try..

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Year 1477 and the knights have conquerd Angora and Kastamon....and now we continue.


We lived and had a good taste of life in the peace that occured after the war versus the Ottomans. Thier military power was broken in the south but we had no doubt about it that it would soon be up to fighting standard again.
The population of Kastamon was a very hostile people, they didn't cooporate at all. Several rebellions forced our lord to place a well sized army in the region. It was slow process to get soldiers from the local population in Angora but soon we had the 1st Angorian regiment ready for battle.
We could see that the troops from the Angora province was not like our knights and soldiers from Rhodes. they seemed to lose battles more often then they won and this made our lord to send troops from Rhodes to guard the borders along side the new army.

During the peaceful years the army grew and also the fleet. Commanded by new leaders new ideas was brought to our lord and he liked what he heard.
Just next to Konya laid the Mameluk empire and just recently they insulted our diplomats for no reason at all. They had given thier word that we should remain independent from the Ottoman empire and now they insulted us calling us children with toys. We were not late to thank them personally....

The knights invasion of the Mameluks 1485 - 1489.
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For god and our grand master!! CHARGE..The echo of the battle cry was heard to Aleppo city and before they managed to close the gates was the first units of the 1st Rhodes army there..Along with them came the delegation the Mameluks sent to us just before christmas hanging under their horses.

the Mameluks armies were far from ready to deal with an invasion. they thought we were children with toys and now we proved the wrong. None of the armied they sent could break the sprit of the 1st Rhodes army.
We also involved the 1st Angorian army so they would know what battle was and they were led by a local commander recruited by the knights just after they had formed. they got the grand task of attacking the great fortress in Syria and release the pressure on the advancing 1st Rhodes. they took a lot of beating by fierce Mameluk counter attack to fend of the siege on the main city in that area. Reinforced by new recruited local troops they managed to hold the ground even if they were forced to retreat at one point.
Another invasion and now by sea was conducted by the 2nd Rhodes army and it was aimed for Samaria just south of Lebanon that was under siege by knight troops.

The war was not a pretty one and Syrian changed hand 2 times before the Mameluks ran out of troops. Syria fell to the batterd 1st Angorian army and without troops was the the Mameluks forced to a peace that brought us closer to Alexandria..closer then they liked..in the peace that came they surrenderd Aleppo, Lebanon and Samaria to our glorious commander Sir Ferdinand.
What a great time we had in front of us.....


To be continued...

The Ottoman and the Mameluks seem to always gain bigger armies then me..

I have my eyes on Syria an wealthy province in the Mameluks empire...