1576-1579 – Imperial Division
A period of peace and quiet was to ensue after the joust held in Hispania. Two prominent generals, Francesc Gabriel Gerard Miquel Bernat de Loarre and Cesar Miguel de Montcada, both retired, although it was rumoured that Marshal Niccolo Limmona forced them out of the army. In their stead, Louis Clément de Montségur took up the mantle of general and was placed in command of the army in Provence.
Chancellor Marti de Trastámara went back to work shortly after his victory in the joust. He made a public declaration that the provinces of Lisboa, Coimbra, and the Canaries rightfully belonged to Hispania as the dominant Iberian and Atlantic power. He also began talks with the Duke of Galicia to formally integrate the duchy into Hispania. The duke had been a subject for many years, with his daughter even married to Prince Marti. It would take time to reach an agreement, but it did not seem impossible.
In the Holy Roman Empire, Austria decided to prey upon its neighbour of Ravensburg, bringing in several German states. With Hungary backing it up, it was unlikely to fail.
Members of court suggested the idea of selling titles to fill up the treasury. Seeing as the treasury was currently overflowing, King Ferran IV outright rejected the idea. The nobles were certainly happy with that decision.
Brabant annexed Utrecht, further securing its position in the Lowlands.
In November of 1576, Duke Garcia II de Alba of Galicia passed away. His son and heir Ramiro inherited the title. The man had no heir though, leaving the fate of the duchy in question. Talks for integration of the duchy into Hispania stalled, but it seemed more likely to occur now that succession was shaky.
With such a large presence in the New World, the navy kept receiving more and more attention. Money was being put into the development of better ships, even if they proved more costly.
Antoni Galindo, a trader and advisor to the king, passed away in January. His replacement was a much shadier character. He was rarely seen after being hired, although he was spotted from time to time skulking through the palace halls. He was rumoured to be the new spymaster, although others suspected he reported to someone else.
Austria flexed its muscles during the war against Ravensburg by annexing Bavaria. How hypocritical of the Emperor to annex his own subjects, especially with heresy running rampant.
Cardinal Velazquez’s colony in Guantanamo was doing extremely well. The last thing it needed to be a proper settlement was some women. A group of 200 women were sent to the colony, all personally selected by the Iron Cardinal based on their virtue. It was meant to be a settlement devoted to God, not somewhere the depraved went. Now Guantanamo was finally self-sustaining. Colonist Miguel Villanova headed further west, starting a settlement up in Havana.
Attempts to control the Portuguese population in Hispaniola came to fruition in April. With that out of the way, a proper colonial government could be established. Nuevas Baleares was created as a result. Hispania’s clear dominance of the Caribbean could no longer be denied. The Pope recognized Hispania’s claim to the region, despite the significant French and Portuguese presence.
After allowing heresy to ferment in the Empire for decades, Emperor Anton II of Austria was finally forced into action. The Protestant princes banded together to form the League of Schmalkalden in an attempt to protect themselves from their Catholic neighbours. The Emperor in turn formed the Catholic League to counteract that. A clash between faiths seemed inevitable, but would Hispania get involved? Would duty to their own faith pull them into a conflict that seemed an imperial matter? After just a month, nations outside the HRE started to join. France pledged its support for the Catholics. Tuscany, much to everyone’s surprise, backed the Protestants. Apparently relations with the papacy were so low that Tuscany would rather back heretics for political gain.
Back at home, the large list of building projects proposed by multiple stewards was continued on. A textile manufactory was built in Cuenca, greatly boosting the production of the province. Later a temple was constructed in Badajoz.
With the ramped up tension with the Protestants, Austria opted for only taking war reparations from Ravensburg instead of annexing them. Many were not pleased that Austria had used its war as an excuse to annex Bavaria instead of the intended war target.
With the expansion of the colonies, tons of trades good flowed into Iberia. Sevilla often became the port of choice for unloading these goods in Europe. The port region was flourishing as a result.
Attempts to find a new administrative advisor began, first with the forced retirement of an artist whose services were not needed by the Crown. Before more candidates could be found, the military advisor, Alonso de Bazan, passed away. He was replaced with Carles Domenec, who had served as an inspirational figure within the army. Once funds were gathered, Pere Sastre was replaced with Guillem de Guimera, who had several proposed reforms to boost the production of goods. It was desperately needed, since merchants were slacking off and the treasury was forced to take out a loan to keep itself in the black.
By May of 1578, all the taken Portuguese provinces had mostly accepted Hispanian rule.
One figure who had stood out during the joust back in 1576 was the knight, Don Chesús. Despite being over a hundred, the knight wandered Hispania offering his services were needed. Many though did not know of his former deeds, for most were not even alive when he accomplished them. The author Miguel de Cervantes took up the task of writing a novel on the elderly knight, detailing his past exploits. Many speculated it was more fiction than fact, but it brought attention to the man.
In August of 1579, France declared war on Bar. This brought in Austria as emperor to defend them. Soon though, France called on its ally for support. A call-to-arms was issued to King Ferran IV. Prince Marti suggested accepting and offering minimal support, seeing as it was likely the Austrians would focus on France and leave Hispania mostly untouched. Forts in northern Iberia, Provence, and Napoli were garrisoned in preparation and the army fully funded. The navy set out for Austria’s only port. However, word then reached Hispania that Hungary had answered Austria’s call. Their involvement meant that Byzantium was likely to be invaded and nearly doubled the enemy forces, with over 70k men at their command. Hispania and France surely outnumbered them, but Hispania would not be able to coast through this war. It was decided that the court should be consulted on the matter
Presenting His Majesty, Ferran IV de Trastámara, King of Hispania & Galicia, and Protector of the Greeks & the Knights.
It seems that the French require our aid. I’m not quite sure I’m inclined to assist them after they were so hostile with use for a time. Seems they think they can use us for their own expansion. Then again, they are a valuable ally and would be a dangerous rival. I suspect that together we can beat Austria and Hungary. But as our chancellor has advised me, I believe it best to consult all of you.
There is also the matter of these leagues within the Holy Roman Empire. Heresy is running rampant, yet we see ourselves potentially drawn into a conflict with the Emperor, who has done a poor job of dealing with these Protestants. I am unsure if we should even get involved. While we are a good Catholic nation, it might not be our place to intervene.
((Ministers have until
Thursday at 12pm PST to post their plans. Players may propose laws in that time. We’ll also have a vote later on whether or not to get involved in the potential religious war in the HRE. We’ll vote on the call-to-arms too, but feel free to discuss it for now.
Dying:
@LittleEtruscan))
