1416 : Peace with the Mameluks. The Ottomans are in trouble.
The Doge Chioggia was not happy. While it is true that he wasn't nearly as skilled as his predecessor Lomellini, he couldn't understand why Venice was fighting in a war that wasn't, after all, his war.
So he met with some elders, who had more experience in ruling a country, and they convinced him that helping Castilla become too strong may backfire.
While it was important answering to their call to arms (although it would have been better
if Venice had declared war independently, but that cannot be undone) it was necessary not to overdo it.
The Doge Chioggia so decided to conclude a White Peace with the Mameluks first thing in the year 1416.
And peace it was. The Venetian troops immediately started retreating from the Balkans and Algeria. While that didn't change the situation in Algeria, where Spain was winning, it completely changed the situation in the Balkans,
as soon as the blockade in the Sea of Marmara was lifted. The Ottoman main army would be able to cross the straits and engage the Spanish troops there. Regrettably, our minions Naxos, Corfu and Aquileia would be involved too, because they were still in the war.
Chioggia was happy to be at peace. He went through Venice's balance sheet together with his advisor and didn't like what he saw. He resolved to pay the loans while waiting for the war to finish and for a chance to diplo annex Aquileia.
The doge decided to build a constable in Venice. He was a little worried about inflation (at 3%)
but his master mint told him that it wasn't too bad, but not very good either.
On the 8 January, he was approached by the bishop in Venice. He reminded him that the Pope is still calling for a Crusade in Morocco, and he suggested that
this could be a good time to attack Morocco, considering how beaten up the Ottoman Empire was.
But the doge wasn't sure. He wanted to see first how the Castillians would fare in the war without Venice's participitation, and was hoping Aquiliea would opt out of the war, so that he could annex it at last.
And on the 20 January, spies reported that the Ottoman army had engaged the Castillian army in Edirne.
The scouts reported that the Castille's army, outnumbered, was beaten back by the Ottomans that could so regain control of their capital.
Panic spread among the Castillians as they found out that Ottoman army was bigger than they thought and was bent on removing Castille's presence from the Balkans.
Interestingly, nobody blamed Venice for this reversal of fortune, and the relation score between Castille and Venice kept on being skyhigh.
In March, the Ottomans were slowly but surely regaining control of the Balkans.
On March 10 1416, the doge received an alliance offer by Savoy. Not seeing any conflict with current alliances, he accepted. He then asked his clerks to draw a diplomatic map that he wanted to show the elders.
The Ottomans got also lucky, because Hungary was actively fighting the Golden Horde and critically, occupied Budjak, prompting the Golden Horde army in Silistria to retire.
News reached us that the Castillian army suffered another defeat in Macedonia and was retreating toward Kozami.
On 11th April 1416, our scouts reported that Castillia's army had been routed in Kozani and the Ottomans were sieging Kozani. This last piece of news convinced the doge that he would rather stay at peace.
On the 29 April, the doge was informed that Lienz was actually a core of Venice ! We gained a casus belly on Austria! Regrettably, Austria has many friends and even if weakened, can be pretty nasty.
In June, our scouts reported that Hungary and the Ottomans were having a hard time agains the Horde. While Hungary seemed to be holding his own, the Turks had serious problems and in July the golden Horde occupied Bulgaria
But they didn't lift the siege on Kozami.
Anyway, in August 1416, the doge was notified that Castille had made a separate peace with Algiers on very good terms indeed ! He couldn't help wonder what they would have gotten without Venice's intervention...
On 6th September, Novgorod declared war on the Golden Horde. And on 21th September, something unexpected happened. Castille sent a relief force to Kozami that engaged the Ottomans. Critically, the Ottomans had just assaulted the town and had very low morale. Meanwhile, a huge Golden Horde stack was gathering in Nis.
As expected, the Ottomans were defeated and retreated to Larissa, the Castillians after them. The battle had ended on the 15 October. Meanwhile, we were informed that Bohemia had started a war against Silesia.
Castillian and Ottoman troops reengaged in Larissa, while the Ottomans had still very low morale, although they had defender bonus.
The Doge was notified that an ally was at war with Bohemia. It seemed that everybody and his cousin was protecting Silesia and declared war on Bohemia, while Bohemia's allies weren't joining the war.
The Doge decided to cancel military access to Bohemia.
As expected, the Ottoman army was defeated in Larissa, but not routed and retreated to Kozani. Instead of pursueing, the Castillian army decided to lay siege on Larissa.
In the meantime the Golden horde was sieging the Ottomans' capital, Edirne. Meanwhile, Switzerland joined Bohemia in their war. We canceled military access to Switzerland.
By the end of the year, the situation in the Balkans was confused, but the Ottomans seemed to be in trouble.