• We have updated our Community Code of Conduct. Please read through the new rules for the forum that are an integral part of Paradox Interactive’s User Agreement.
The Eagle Becomes a Phoenix

NLdok5S.jpg


Chapter Five - Conflict in Italy


The Empire of the Romans had faced near constant war for 32 years, with the only extended period of peace being the three years between the end of the civil war in 1354 and the beginning of the Aegean War in 1357. Emperor John VI, at the age of 38, had already established himself as the most successful Eastern Roman Emperor since Basil II, more than 300 years earlier. As the Balkan War ended, John VI began to shift his focus from military matters to civic matters, and ensuring that the empire that he had reestablished would last longer than himself. The first, and by far the most controversial, action that he would take would be the implementation of a set of laws that would gradually give religious freedom and tolerance to the citizens of the empire. While this was almost unheard of at the time, nearly a third of those living within the new Roman borders were Islamic, and John VI saw that it was the only way to keep a lasting hold on the newly reconquered Anatolian lands. The laws would prove to be incredibly effective, with any chance of a massive Islamic uprising disappearing almost immediately. However, while Orthodox Christianity remained, in name, the only true religion of the empire, the Orthodox church privately condemned the actions of the Emperor. To appease the church, and to prevent them from sparking any public discontent within the Christian lands of the empire, John VI funded missionary endeavors in Anatolia with the goal of converting the Islamic provinces to Orthodox Christianity.

The second major action that he would take to reform the empire would be to reestablish the Theme System. This system ensured that the Eastern Roman army would have enough manpower reserves to draw upon in the case that a conflict arose where the standing army would not be able to handle itself. By providing citizen farmers newly conquered land to work and own, they were now obliged to serve in the Roman military if they were called upon in a time of need. This also had the added effect of repopulating the Roman countryside, and of creating an incentive for Orthodox Christians, namely those within Constantinople, to migrate from Europe to Anatolia.

JbV68XM.png

Yz4uONu.png

The reforms of John VI in 1373 - Laws of religious tolerance, and the reestablishment of the Theme System.

By 1375, it seemed that the Empire of the Romans was destined for an extended period of peace. With the Anatolian nations pacified, and the only other neighboring nations either allied or afraid of Roman military might, there were no real rivals for the empire to be weary of. This changed on February 27, when the king of Gorizia died and a succession war broke out between the Kingdom of Naples and Hungary. Two days later, when Genoa entered the war with their Neapolitan allies, the Hungarians issued a call to arms to the Empire of the Romans, and John VI was thrust into yet another war.

xPW0CAi.png

zUqSimr.png

The War of Gorizian Succession.

The war between the Neapolitan League and the Roman-Hungarian alliance would quickly prove to be an opportunity for the Romans to seize dominance of the entire eastern Mediterranean. When the war broke out, a Genoese fleet set sail to the Black Sea to keep order in the Genoese coastal territories in the area and prevent them from revolting. The only problem, however, was that as they neared Constantinople, they had no idea of Roman intervention in the war two weeks earlier. Instead of receiving a toll from the Genoese, the Romans greeted them with the Imperial fleet. Not a single Genoese ship survived the Battle of Marmara, and the Romans had dealt a heavy, though not crippling, blow to the navy of the Neapolitan League. The Roman navy didn't lose any of their 35 warships, and immediately set sail to Southern Italy. Before reaching the Italian coast, however, they would have to go through the much larger and more prepared Neapolitan navy. The two fleets met in the Battle of the Ionian Sea on August 6th, in what would become the most decisive battle of the war.

NIC5yWc.png

pLRTr1W.jpg

The Battle of the Sea of Marmara between Rome and Genoa (top), and the Battle of the Ionian Sea between Rome and Naples (bottom).

The Battle of the Ionian Sea was a monumental disaster for the Neapolitan League. As the battle was winding down and victory was imminent for the Romans, an allied fleet arrived to prevent any escape for the Neapolitans. The last four Neapolitan galleys surrendered to the Romans, and as a result, two thirds of their navy was lost. The Romans lost only five galleys, but with the acquisition of the four surrendered ships, the loss was negligible. In the last months of 1375, the Roman navy defeated the remainder of the Genoese fleet in the Aegean Sea in September, and then the remainder of the Neapolitan fleet just off the coast of the Neapolitan capital in November. As a result of these four naval battles, the Neapolitan League lost 73 warships, while the Romans gained four captured ships. The Italian states were both astonished and humiliated, and Italy was wide open for an invasion.


BGQZuI4.png
M1gaJY2.png
qljf9Qe.png

The major naval battles in the closing months of 1375 between Rome and the Neapolitan League.

In June of 1376, the Roman invasion of Italy finally came. The I. Legion Thrace landed unopposed in Salento in Southern Italy, but the legion of 15,000 men were still unwilling to meet the Neapolitan army, 11,000 strong, on their own terms. Instead, two thousand Romans remained in Salento, while the rest marched north to Abruzzi. Instead of besieging Salento, however the smaller Roman force concentrated on fortifying their position in the hopes that the Neapolitans would take the bait and attempt to relieve the southern city. The plan worked, at first, and as soon as the Neapolitans began their march, the majority of the Roman legion was on their heels. The Neapolitans, however, realized the trap that they were walking into, and attempted to withdraw back to the capital. The retreat was in vain, as the Romans met them in the Battle of Basilicata. The Neapolitans were able to withdraw to Naples without suffering too many casualties, but the battle had completely broken Neapolitan morale. On October 15, the Romans decided to move against the capital and the entire Neapolitan army surrendered almost without a fight. Over 10,000 Neapolitans were killed or captured in the battle, and Rome quickly occupied all of Southern Italy.

tAiBEj8.png


79PHxEu.jpg

0tzsbua.png

The Neapolitans take the Roman bait (top), and the Battle of Naples allowed the Romans to occupy Southern Italy (Bottom Two).

By December of 1376, Naples had been broken, but remained defiant to Roman occupation. The Romans had demanded a full annexation of the Kingdom of Naples, and the Neapolitan King vehemently refused to accept these terms. The Romans were unwilling to compromise until, on May 15, 1378, the Hungarians were drawn into another succession war, this time against the Holy Roman Emperor in Bohemia. The Hungarians opened peace talks with the Neapolitans, and Emperor John VI knew that he had to either negotiate a separate peace, or be satisfied with the terms negotiated by the Hungarians. On September 2nd, 1378, the Kingdom of Naples finally accepted peace with the Romans. In return, the Romans gained the province of Abruzzi from Naples, along with the Genoese territories in Anatolia and Crimea. Within two years of the peace deal, the remaining Genoese provinces along the Black Sea would rise up and join the Empire of the Romans as well. Yet again, the Roman Empire under John VI had emerged victorious in a war against a major foreign power.


DEP19ph.png
sZc6bjg.png

Y1PYvcB.png

A new war for Hungary (top left), which forced the Romans to make a peace deal with Naples (top right). Roman borders after the Gorizian Succession War and the rebellions in Genoese Black Sea territories (bottom).
 
Last edited:
I'm baaaack! Hope you guys enjoy this latest update. I'll begin working on my next one tomorrow, as well as the war update.
 
Are you busy? I'm okay if you are; just curious.

Yeah, my workload got crazy for a couple weeks there due to some issues. One of my coworkers is, well, no longer with us physically. His family could use some prayers from all those who are willing to give them.

Take the time you need.:)

Take as long as you need...

You guys are awesome - thank you for your patience.

My body... is ready!

I am prepared to receive the bacon!

Tell me how this bacon tastes!

I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE

TOO FAST AND FURIOUS EXPANSION FOR ME

no seriously, plz, I just want to play MEIOU. This AAR is awesome.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! UPDATE IS UP DATED! Haha, MEIOU is an absolutely amazing mod, and I really didn't plan for my expansion to be this... explosive. I just try to take advantage of situations, and this is where it's led me thus far. Thank you for the feedback!
 
It seems like you now have a proper foothold that you could use to invade rest of Italy. Retaking Rome hopefully be on your agenda for the near future.
 
Such AAR. Very Beautiful. Much pleased.

I love this AAR :)
 
How do you manage the constant aggression penalty? You still got many cores to conquer left? Greek culture spread? Orthodox religion map?
My aggression penalty wasn't too terrible within Europe at the start of the war. Afterwards, well, let's just say the entire Italian peninsula hates me. Even those who were involved in a separate war with Naples. Most of my expansion has been retaking my cores, and without opening my game right now, I don't believe I have any cores left to take except those owned by Bulgaria. As for the Greek culture spread, the only spread so far has been into my two northernmost Anatolian provinces. The religious map is, by and large, the same as it was at the beginning of the game, though I'm about to finish converting one province. I'll have to start taking more screenshots of the culture/religion mapmode. I really dropped the ball by not doing so.

Number of provinces wise, a good expansion. Sheer square miles though, not quite as grand as previous wars. However, the expansion of Byzantine enclaves in Southern Italy is always a good harbinger of things to come.
Yeah, I was willing to accept the smaller square mileage in return for ending the war on my terms, and for kicking Genoa out of my sphere of influence.

It seems like you now have a proper foothold that you could use to invade rest of Italy. Retaking Rome hopefully be on your agenda for the near future.
Absolutely - it wouldn't be a very good Empire of the Romans game if I didn't plan to take Rome at some point! It feels like I'm knocking at the door now that I crossed the sea.

Candar seems rather lonely. A land bridge with your Pontic holdings would be a good idea.

It definitely would. Candar and Bulgaria both look pretty tasty right now.

Such AAR. Very Beautiful. Much pleased.

I love this AAR :)

Much appreciation. Such glad.

I hope to continue entertaining!
 
Yay for updates! And for Roman expansion!
 
Why did you take one province only in Sicilia? Wouldn't it be better if all your gains were made in one bulk? :)
 
Why did you take one province only in Sicilia? Wouldn't it be better if all your gains were made in one bulk? :)

That Sicilian province has been in Roman hands since nearly the beginning of the game. I'll draw up a new map to show my gains in the war, and I'll include it in my war update, incoming within the next hour or so. As for why I didn't annex a bunch of Neapolitan land, it was because of the fact that it would most likely have turned Spain, France, and Austria against me - not just the Italian states. Taking Genoese lands on the coast of the Black Sea not only gave me some cores, but also (in my opinion, I could be wrong), indirectly caused the last two Genoese provinces in the area revolt and join me, since the area was no longer as important to Genoa. So, really, I got around 130% war score worth of provinces, without a gigantic hit to either aggressive expansion or overextension. Plus, I only need one Italian province to be able to station a large army there before the next war, and not have to worry about a naval invasion of Italy.
 
Last edited:
The War of Gorizian Succession


TK0Jd3g.jpg

The Roman occupation of the Kingdom of Naples.

Date: March 1, 1375 - September 2nd, 1378 (3 years, 6 months, 1 day)
Location: Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Italian peninsula
Result: White peace (Between Hungary/Naples). Effectively a Roman victory.
Territorial Changes: The Empire of the Romans gains the Neapolitan province of Salentu, along with Genoese coastal territories along the Black Sea. The Kingdom of Naples becomes senior partner in a personal union with Gorizia.

Belligerents:
Empire of the Romans, Hungary, Croatia | Neapolitan League (Kingdom of Naples, Genoa, Modena, other smaller Italian States)

Strength:
Roman-Hungarian Alliance - 55,000 men, About 60 warships | Neapolitan League - 45,000 men, About 95 warships.

Casualties and Losses (in Battles):
1,176 Romans. Around 20,000 Hungarians/Croatians - 5 warships | 11,776 Neapolitans, around 15,000 allied Italians - 84 allied warships (9 captured by Roman forces)

Notable Battles:
Battle of The Ionian Sea (1375) - Decisive naval victory for the Romans. The Neapolitan navy was engaged and decimated by the Roman navy off the coast of western Greece.
Battle of Naples (1376) - Decisive victory for the Romans. The Neapolitan Army, after suffering a defeat in southern Italy and retreating to Naples, surrendered to the Roman I. Legion Thracia.

Maps:
1ibexis.png

The Hungarian-Roman Alliance in red, the Neapolitan League in green, and the Papal States and allies, at war with Naples from 1375-1376, in orange.

9D2k1Xo.png

New territory acquired by the Empire of the Romans (red) after the War of Gorizian Succession.
 
It's interesting to see your small stacks suffering from attrition in Italy. Seeing that you have gained quite a bit of AE in Europe, maybe you will expand eastwards before returning back to Italy. When you will take Crete?
 
Subscribes :D
 
It appears the War for the Gorizian succession was more for powerful trading ports instead of large tracts of land like the Balkan War. Nonetheless, it is impressive to see the reconquering of the ports, especially those in Anatolia.

After over three centuries, the true Roman Empire is once more in Italy! Reform the Catepanate of Italy and push back the Neapolitans!

I'm surprised that it has been some years and still the Ottomans are yet to be crushed.
 
It's interesting to see your small stacks suffering from attrition in Italy. Seeing that you have gained quite a bit of AE in Europe, maybe you will expand eastwards before returning back to Italy. When you will take Crete?
Currently my priorities, in order, are Bulgaria, the rest of western Anatolia, Candar, and then Crete. I only have Candar ahead of Crete because it will connect my Anatolian provinces. These priorities are very flexible, however. I conquer when opportunity presents itself, not usually just for the sake of conquering.

Interesting expansion. Since you're maxed out in the west, some eastern expansion is in order. Time to bash the Ottomans. If others join in, you may be able to annex them in one shot.

I agree wholeheartedly. I'm planning to look eastward until Europe is off my back.

Getting any useful missions? Gotten rid of Wrath of God or wasn't there any? Decision for Themes or any similar possible or happened?
So far, the most useful mission I've had was one that got me a claim on a Serbian province that I didn't have a core on. Other than that, I haven't accepted many major missions. As for the Wrath of God, no I haven't shed that burden just yet. One of the requirements is a leader with an administrative skill of 4, or alternatively a statesman advisor - neither of which I have at the moment. Another requirement is a leader with a military skill of 4, or an army organizer. I've seen an army organizer before, but didn't hire him since I haven't met the other requirement. In fact, I've never even seen a statesman in this play...

As for theme decisions, the only one that I've seen was one to reestablish the system, which I enacted (first picture set, bottom picture in chapter five).

Subscribes :D
Enjoy!

It appears the War for the Gorizian succession was more for powerful trading ports instead of large tracts of land like the Balkan War. Nonetheless, it is impressive to see the reconquering of the ports, especially those in Anatolia.

After over three centuries, the true Roman Empire is once more in Italy! Reform the Catepanate of Italy and push back the Neapolitans!

I'm surprised that it has been some years and still the Ottomans are yet to be crushed.
Those yellow Genoese provinces sure were an eyesore. They look much better in Roman purple. I'm also fairly surprised that the Ottomans haven't been swallowed up. In fact, they seem to still be the bully of Anatolia. It may very well be time to take that title for myself.