1564-1568 : Diplo-annexation of Tyrol and monetary reforms
In June 1564, after sending some merchants to Malacca, a couple of nice-to-have bonuses kick in.
Through an event I gain 1 Mercantilism. Meanwhile our conversions go on as planned.
We spend 724 ducats on the "Commedia dell'Arte'.
As I explained before, I am planning to diplo-annex Tyrol to FAIL my mission, but to keep the provinces without becoming "unlawful" I have to leave the HRE first.
Now, all of my provinces are outside the HRE. It would actually be better if the HRE didn't exist at all.
Tirol is diplo-annexed in March 1565.
Shortly after that I get notified that the mission (Convert Tyrol to Catholicism) is failed. Next mission will be securing 5 trade rights. But I send missionaries to the Tyrolean provinces, so they will be Catholics after all.
Of course, Trent and Tyrol have to leave the HRE as well.
So this is Europe in March 1563
And this is the religious map. My vassals Styria and Augsburg are also of the "wrong" religion. For some weird reason there is an Orthodox province in Württemberg.
Meanwhile, Osjek had cored (I had built an embassy there) and I build a new embassy in Aleppo. Time flies.
While securing trade rights for Salt from Granada I get another nice-to-have modifier.
In August 1565, 5 trade rights are secured, and the prize is a booming economy! I get the next mission - build a Textile Manufactory in Slavonia. The prize is useless (a 4-star philosopher) but fulfilling the mission won't make Venice weaker at least.
We don't have enough money, so we take a loan. We will use it to build the manufactory and to repay the other upcoming loan. The manufactory is queued. And for five years, I don't have to think about fulfilling missions.
So this is our income when the economy is booming - The Netherlands now being the second biggest economy.
Our doge is reelected. Meanwhile we deal with the pirates in the Pacific at last - where we founded the colonies Kalapuya ( mission) and Poma ( to remove the "no near colony" penalty). In Poma there is gold, btw.
In April 1566, we get a Border Friction CB on Bavaria.
That is an opportunity to attack the evil empire. But Bavaria is allied to the Netherlands and Austria - not to mention the emperor. This is not a war I can just jump in.
But in September 1566, I need to enact monetary reforms and lose 2 stability - so the war will be put off.
Our national focus is moved back to Treviso. Meanwhile, we go on buying trade rights, while investing on Stability.
Buy June 1567, Trent and Tyrol have become Catholic. Mission accomplished - although not for the game.
In December 1567, Portugal colonizes an island on my border in America and gives me a casus belli. A Spain province is in the fog of war and there is also a "British North America"
I get called to arms by Deccan to a war against the big V - I declare a Holy war against them.
This is the situation in India in January 1568.
Regrettably, as we get back to +3 stability, we find out we lost our CB against Bavaria - it is a temporary CB. So we go back to our old enemy -Spain.
In February 1568, we declare war on Portugal and Spain - as usual, colonialism casus belli. This time we do not call all our allies to arms automatically, because I want to keep Navarra out of this war.