After Action Report No. 1: Tuscany greets the World
The story of Tuscany really starts during the Firenze-Pisa reunification under the rule of Prince Maso degli Albizzi. Though he will be overshadowed by the great leaders that follow in his wake, his image was usually reverenced by all the Great Houses, largely because he neither hailed from nor endorse any. Which is interesting, given that in order to understand the subsequent factional politics, we must examine his time in power.
During the time, Tuscany wasn't much of a political entity. The only state that lay claim to it, and then only as a formality, was the city-state of Firenze. The claim did not resonate deeply with the people however. Court records talk of the discussions relating to an alliance with Milan. This favouring of Milan does not seem a particularly obvious choice, as other powerful kingdoms existed to align with. Furthermore, Milan held Tuscany territory, which ought to have frustrated the discussion, yet it hardly factored in. The records show that Albizzi was oddly quiet concerning these talks. In light of his future actions, this fact has cast a great deal of suspicion upon him and his dealings in Pisa.
For those who defend the 'Albizzi the Puppet-Master' theory, many begin by pointing out that he pushed for the formalising of the military at a time when mercenaries were common. Though this concern with quality prevented many young Italians from pursuing a career as a sell-sword, it did prepare Tuscany for future armed conflict in the area.
Which is rather coincidental, because it wouldn't be long before a well funded Pretender would bring an army of six thousand to Pisa. To put this force in context, Firenze represented the largest force in Tuscany and it only numbered three thousand men. The armies of Milan were not present and for logistical reasons, could not access the area. It was not long before the garrisons fell in Pisa. The following events serve as the lynch-pin in the Puppet-Master theory.
The forces, after occupying the region long enough to be emancipated, simply left. Under the guise of imperial expansion, the force marched south. When Prince Albizzi declared war upon the new state, citing concern for the people, the Pisan army simply let them. Despite being twice the size of the invading force, the refused to give up their siege and return to defend their new homeland. The result was the reunification of Pisa with Firenze, the formation of Tuscany proper and the formation of another city-state of Siena, whose land was freed just like Pisa from Milan. That the army disbanded and integrated, as lords, into the highly corrupt Siena monarchy is another anomaly of history.
While this extraordinary set of events fuels historical conspiracy theories to this day, one thing that is agreed by everyone is that Albizzi didn't waste time in exploiting the situation. Cracking down on the local clergy who spoke out against him and defending his new proto-humanistic administration, while it didn't make him popular with the pope, did allow him to gain control of the area. He spend readily, expanding both his military efforts beyond a level typical of such an area and brought in many great men to the courts. The nobles of the realm benefited greatly, travelling far and intermingling in Iberian, French and Germanic dynasties. Though Albizzi didn't align too strongly with any particular power, he maintain good graces with all of them. Indeed, to cap off the conspiracies around the character of Albizzi and cement his reputation as a shady imperialist, is the fact that no nobles ever married into Ferraran or Umbrian families...
