1592 – Broken Alliance
The matter of religious tolerance came to head yet again as members at court pressed for recognition of the various Christian sects. King Ferran IV was hesitant to grant such a request, especially after the recent rebellions, but Prince Pere convinced him to reconsider. The king at last granted recognition to the Protestant and Reformed faiths, allowing them to be practiced freely within Hispania. That did not necessarily mean that efforts would not be taken to bring these people back into the arms of the Church, but such efforts would be less violent.
Catholic zealots rose up in revolt in Almeria and Algarve at the news, even as people across Hispania adopted these new faiths. The king ordered these rebellions put down, tired of people rising up against his rule. Troops were called in from Provence and Napoli to aid those in Iberia.
Even as trouble continued on at home, a change in North Africa occurred. The Mamluks and Morocco turned their gaze away from Europe and looked elsewhere. With Hispania so focused on internal issues, the hostilities towards the Muslims of North Africa died down. They had not fought for ages and it seemed such a conflict would not occur for some time. The rivalry had come to an end.
The zealots took Algarve and Almeria, but by then the army was almost in place. Over 30k men moved into Almeria to take on the zealots. Numbers won the day and the rebellion was put down. A single army was left to retake the province while the rest marched for Alentejo, where the second army now resided.
Even as the conflict raged on within Hispania, breakthroughs were made in ship design. New models of light and heavy ships were designed that would prove far stronger than those currently in use. These ships could also better withstand the harsh waters of the Atlantic, encouraging cross-oceanic travel and colonization efforts.
For some reason, foreign rulers thought it foolish that King Ferran was not patronizing art during a time of internal strife.
Several prominent trading families fell on hard times as the recent chaotic period had greatly hurt Hispania’s trade. No one wanted to trade with a kingdom facing countless rebellions. With so much of Hispania’s wealth coming from its trade, the king was willing to compensate these traders to keep them afloat. Unfortunately, miscommunication between him and the treasurer made it so he didn’t realize the Crown didn’t have the funds to begin with. A loan had to be taken out to cover the costs.
In May, Pope Marcellus II issued a papal bull forbidding the enslavement of the natives of the New World. It was believed they were like children that needed to be guided into the arms of the Church, for they knew no other way. Seeing as Hispania had already taken a friendly approach towards the native population, the king accepted the papal bull and endorsed it in Hispania’s colonies.
The zealots in Alentejo managed to take the province, but the army was already on the way. Generals Hernando Francisco de Leon and Niccolo Limmona arrived first to tackle the rebel army, joined soon by Louis Clément de Montségur. The French sent an army down to assist, but it did not arrive in time. Victory was still achieved, but Hispania was losing good men putting down these rebellions.
With funds needed to pay off a loan, all forts were mothballed. Even then, the treasury was emptied to finish upgrading the navy’s galleys, for the process remained unfinished. Now they were all up to date, but it would take longer to gain the funds necessary to pay off the loan.
By the end of July, the rebel strongholds had fallen and the zealots had been rooted out of their hiding spots.
As the transport fleet shipped the Neapolitan army home, a Moroccan fleet was spotted preying on trade in the Mediterranean. Of course these heathens would resort to piracy.
October brought trouble in foreign relations as France approached Hispania with yet another call-to-arms. France continued to greedily seek land on its eastern border, this time targeting Savoy. Usually such a war would involve little participation on Hispania’s part, for France could easily carry most of the burden. However, Savoy was allied to Tuscany and the Papal State, both of which honoured their alliance. Hispania now had to make a difficult choice: dishonour their alliance with France or go to war with their ally Tuscany and the Pope.
Presenting His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights.
I truly wish that these religious troubles of ours are behind us, for we now face a much bigger dilemma. France has yet again called upon us for aid, but they ask much of us. They have declared war upon Savoy, but in doing so they have also declared war upon Savoy’s allies in Tuscany and the Papal State. Tuscany has long been our ally, aiding us in several wars. As for the Papal State, how can we go to war with them with a Hispanian Pope in Rome? Can we truly turn against both the Church and our Italian ally to satisfy French greed? Or is it better to stick with an ally whose power is unquestionable and has stuck beside us for well over a century? This decision is not an easy one and one in which I must seek guidance from all of you on.
((Well France ruined my plans yet again, so I had to stop early. We’ll vote on the call-to-arms later. For now, ministers may present plans until
Sunday at 12pm PST, although yet again most of the earlier ones weren’t completed since I didn’t even get to play a full year. Anyone may present laws in that time.))