1689-1694 – A War on Inequality
Princess Isabel’s European tour proved a short affair, for after getting stuck in France during a rebellion, she never ended up leaving. She’d grown quite fond of the young French emperor, eventually accepting his marriage proposal, despite the difference in age. They were married some time in 1686 and Isabel gave birth to a son two years later. ((I was originally going to have Isabel’s tour continue, but I was far too busy last week to write up more IC for her, so had to cut it short, and the birth of a French heir made me have to make the decision now rather than later.))
Despite this new union with France, tensions still grew over the colonies. The French had established a colony in Angra Pequena, an isolated region of West Africa. The Trans-Atlantic Trading Company surely wasn’t pleased with the interference.
Colonial matters in Africa weren’t all bad. Inhambane was able to last on its own now, allowing the Crown to shift resources elsewhere. While Emperor Joan III and his chancellors had been unwilling so far to resort to war on behalf of the TATC, the emperor was willing to support colonial ventures in the region. Colonist Sancho Villanova was instructed to set up a colony in the Grain Coast to strengthen Hispania’s presence in West Africa.
Bahmanis had proved at first to be the biggest impediment to Hispanian expansion into India, especially after they claimed part of Ceylon, but they were no longer the strongest Indian power. Malwa knocked them down a peg, isolating them further to the south.
Elsewhere in Asia, Kazan managed to push further east by taking land from Bukhara. This was most likely a desperate measure to expand before Lithuania finished rolling over their lands. It seemed likely they’d lose land in the west soon, so this had to be made up with land in the east.
With no clear direction provided by the steward, funds were half-heartedly committed to the continued expansion of shipyards and churches across the empire.
When the option was presented to raise tariffs on sugar coming out of Nueva Granada, it was dismissed by the emperor. Nueva Granada was growing increasingly discontent and further tariffs would not be wise.
In July, the transport fleet started its busy work of sailing the Hispanian armies to North Africa for a future war with Tunis. The African nation had no allies and only 21k men, so it would be an easy war, but everyone wanted it to be quick.
In Sweden, King Karl VIII Gustav Soop ascended to the Swedish throne after reaching the age of majority.
An ingenious engineer was devising better fortifications in Braganca. When presented with the possibility of moving to Valencia and serving at court, he turned down the offer. It was not a major loss, for Braganca was surely benefiting from his expertise.
The Church of Jesus Christ had finally settled into Europe, although some notable figures such as Prime Minister Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre had been caught actively resisting it. Certain locations, however, had been avoided. While Emperor Joan had been reluctant to force the Church upon the more stubborn nobles, he had also not made a decision about Malta and Rhodes. Both were officially sanctioned as the headquarters of the various Catholic knightly orders, who only participated in wars targeted against heathens. After some deliberation with members of the Church, the decision was made to push for the Church of Jesus Christ on both the islands. The knights would have to adapt, perhaps accepting that they would defend all Christians from heathens rather than just Catholics.
This push for the Church also coincided with a change in advisors. The advisor Sakhr Benzine had passed away, with his spot taken by the Theologian Ramon Loaisa, a man who hailed from the Indonesian colonies. He shared ideas for the Church that would make it more favourable for all people, even those resistant to accepting it over their single faith.
By the end of April of 1690, all armies were in place in North Africa. Tunis was ripe for the taking. Hispania was to go in alone in this war, for both Austria and Sweden considered it too far away to require their participation, while France was currently in debt and unwilling to pursue a war at this time. Their assistance wasn’t needed anyway. When the war declaration was sent, its tone differed from past ones. There was no mention of land disputes, religious divides, or any usual justification of war. Instead it merely stated that Hispania claimed Tunis’s land as a right of empire, that expansion in North Africa was to the benefit of the empire. Hispania was getting its first major taste of imperialism.
A Tunis trade fleet had the misfortune of being at sea outside of Cape Bon at the start of war. The hundred ships of Admiral Dietrich Vinzent Lübecker’s fleet swarmed them, with two ships sunk within minutes and the remaining two surrendering before they could be destroyed too. The captured ships were immediately sent to port to upgrade and add to the trade fleet operating out of Genoa.
As for the armies, all four swarmed over the border in short order. General Marti de Leon was tasked with taking the fort at Aures, while General Louis de Soneta went straight for Tunis’s capital. The remaining two armies followed behind, occupying land in the west before heading east and south. Soneta faced the first bout of opposition, and probably the only notable one. The entire Tunis army was guarding the capital, but the superiority of the Hispanian force was too much for them. In three days, the entire force was either killed or surrendered.
By July, the first provinces fell in the west, including the hiding spot for half the Tunis fleet. The main fleet, with the aid of Sanchonia and the Greeks, caught them off the Barbary Coast, easily eradicating the entire enemy fleet.
Even as men serving in the army grew older and could no longer serve on the field, they could still serve their country well through other means. The Hispanian army was getting into the practice of hiring veterans as drill sergeants and quartermasters, where their knowledge could make the army more efficient.
Matsolo, yet another African colony, was ready to operate on its own, allowing resources to be shifted elsewhere. This time the Crown funnelled resources into settling Salto for Nuevo Leon. The French presence was still considered a concern, especially with Nuevo Leon is three pieces. Plans were being made to join two of the three, while also blocking off expansion by the French to the north.
Attempts to reform an army and retake lost provinces didn’t go well for Tunis. The Exercit Athens dispatched the first of many attempts.
Manada reach a state of self-sufficiency, thanks to funding from the Mandromenos family. After that, colonist Sancho Villanova was detoured to Cameroon at the request of the TATC, specifically the Saint-Pierre family.
By February of 1691, Tunis’s capital was unable to hold out any longer, reducing one of the last bits of any serious resistance. Hispanian armies were sweeping across Tunis’s coastline and into the interior. A few resistance forces were dispatched along the way. It was just a matter of time now.
The remainder of the Tunis navy was forced from port, right into Lübecker’s waiting grasp. It took but two days to sink nearly the entire enemy navy, although a single transport was captured and subsequently added to the European transport fleet.
April saw the fall of Aures, the last Tunis fort. More straggler armies tried to rally, but fell before Hispania’s might.
The Holy Roman Emperor passed away in May, with Brandenburg losing its crown to Frankfurt, an unusual choice. Frankfurt was but a shadow of its former self, much like Brandenburg, but noticeably was Protestant. The imperial crown had been taken back by the Protestants, although they did serve as a majority in the HRE.
French Louisiana, after sitting on its rear end for decades and doing nothing much but slowly pushing into Mexico, finally attacked one of their neighbours, declaring war on Chickasaw.
A strange shift in opinion occurred in northern Italy after the annexation of Tuscany. The Tuscan people had at first been bitter, but over time they began to flourish within the empire. Emperor Joan’s decision to grant the Italians greater leniency before the annexation of Tuscany was now impacting the Tuscans as well. The strong Tuscan infrastructure and economy was well-suited for the larger Hispanian empire. Soon they had positioned themselves as the leading powerhouse of Hispania’s Italian territories.
The sudden rise of the Tuscans only served to antagonize Hispania’s Neapolitan and Sicilians subjects. They had been part of the empire for much longer, yet they had been increasingly ignored in favour of Iberia as the region began to stagnate. Only half-hearted measures had been taken to improve their condition and they were increasingly becoming to feel like they were not accepted within Hispania. Fortunately, the emperor heard their plight. Hispania was currently experiencing a period of prosperity where Crown resources were plenty available. Joan announced that he would dedicate portions of this to improving the development of Naples, followed by Sicily, Sardinia, and Corsica. This was done through various methods. The army was increasingly becoming a major employer for those less well off and the emperor bolstered recruitment efforts in the region. Production was also increased with investments given to various industries. The focus was mostly on the poorer agricultural regions of east Naples. This process was expected to take a few years before results could be seen. ((I found it a bit unacceptable that Tuscan is an accepted culture, but Neapolitan and Sicilian are not. Apparently we only need both to control 10% of our development, so I’m putting excess diplo and military points into getting them to 10%.))
Despite things stirring up in Italy, it was Tunis that drew most Hispanians’ attention in the summer of 1891. The African nation had fallen and was at the mercy of Hispania. Chancellor Andrés de Alvaro had made it clear from the beginning that the goal was to take the province of Tunis, a valuable port in the Mediterranean. There was some talk of taking their entire northern coastline as well, but it was decided that administering such land would be too difficult with Italy drawing so much attention. Eventually it was decided that Tunis and the surrounding land would be taken to protect the valuable port. This would split Tunis in two, but would give Hispania control of plenty of coastline. ((The provinces between our Moroccan territory and Annaba apparently do not fall under the overseas classification, and thus combined with Berber traditions are extremely expensive to core. All our admin points had already been spent on coring Tuscany.))
The construction of cathedrals extended to North Africa, including the newly conquered provinces, with the hopes that Christianity could be brought to the region and remain strong despite the presence of Islam.
An influx of sugar was driving up the price as it poured in from the New World.
Theologian Ramon Loaisa was already making his mark on the world. After writing up several theses and debating religion with countless pious individuals, he pushed forward for reforms of the Church to make it more accommodating for the common man. The people loved him for it.
The failure of yet another constitution to draw the support of the court caused further dissent in the empire. People wanted greater representation, and not only if it was granted on the whims of a single individual.
Gaston Jacques de Saint-Pierre’s military expertise was paying off for the empire. The army and navy were in better shape than ever before, especially with the new military academy in Valencia. The emperor used this increase in the army’s popularity to fuel his plans for Naples, trying to drive forward recruitment efforts.
Lithuanian’s war with Kazan saw Delhi sent packing while paying war reparations. Kazan faced Lithuania’s wrath itself soon after, losing several provinces to their enemy, as well as some to Genoa. They were increasingly finding themselves forced east.
Morocco was not one to waste an opportunity. They declared war on Tunis, sweeping in on the vulnerable nation. Over in Germany, Munster moved to reclaim lost land from East Frisia.
The Church of Jesus Christ was starting to shift its focus abroad. Missionaries were being sent as far as Africa and India to convert the population to Christianity. The establishment of the new Church in these far-off lands caused some problems for the trading companies that found their authority temporarily undermined.
French Louisiana’s conquest of Chickasaw went splendidly. They managed to claim most of their land, opening the way east. Hopefully that would alleviate competition with Nova Hispania as their borders drew nearer.
Poland’s ambitions in the HRE were proving unquenchable. They now declared war on Luneburg, taking advantage of the splinter state form Brandenburg. At this rate, they’d be on the French border in a few decades.
The emperor’s attempts to improve the situation of the Neapolitan people was paying off, with many seeing the emperor as a fair and just ruler.
For a region called the Grain Coast, it certainly had very little grain and a lot of fish. ((Just found it ironic that the Grain Coast had fish as its trade good.
))
The army always seemed to be the favourite of the administration, as the emperor okayed the funds needed for the improvement of barracks into training fields in Aragon and eventually farther abroad.
A small sailing exercise proved dangerous as Admiral Joao de Maia became seriously injured, forcing him to leave his position as admiral. ((The game killed off the admiral, and seeing as Raboude isn’t too active and it’s a non-active who I don’t know the age of, I just let him get removed.))
Nuremburg found itself the first victim in the Polish war, losing land to Bavaria. This also brought to attention that the war had expanded to include several prominent nations. Poland had called upon Bavaria and Austria for help, while Bohemia had come to Luneburg’s aid. It seemed like that Poland would win in the end though, especially since Bohemia had also chose to assist East Frisia against Munster, who in turn had Saxony and Hungary to back them up.
Britain’s attempts at colonial expansion had been subpar, with only war reparations secured from Creek.
Poland was not merciful on its enemies, taking two provinces from Luneburg and one from Bohemia. With France pushing in from the west and Poland from the east, it seemed likely that the HRE was to fail as an institution.
With the Crown supporting colonial efforts in Africa, the TATC was starting to flourish in the east.
With Hispania now expanding more into North Africa, the Mamluks were finding themselves increasingly blocked off. They had no choice by to expand east or south now. With that in mind, they declared war on Yemen, which also pitted them against their allies of Kaffa and Baluchistan.
September of 1693 saw the passing of Archduke Albrecht VII of Austria. His son Georg ascended to the throne, with his brother Albrecht as his heir.
Brabant was the first out of the war with Munster, showing signs that the latter would be victorious over East Frisia.
For decades Hispania had viewed its colonies as a source of gold and resources with little thought of the colonists themselves. Tariffs on Nueva Granada had reached 52%, something the locals found unacceptable. Murmurs of rebellion were spreading, although nothing definite was noted. Still, an eye would have to be kept on the colonies from now on.
By the end of 1693, it was quite clear that Emperor Joan’s policy towards Naples was paying off. The local economy was flourishing, production was booming, jobs were plentiful, and the Neapolitan people in general were starting to feel like integral subjects of Hispania. Now there was only to replicate the results with the Sicilian people.
Presenting His Imperial Highness, Joan III de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, and Protector of the Greeks.
It seems that the heathens of North Africa are becoming weaker with each passing year. We overcame them without even breaking a sweat. Truly Hispania has reached a new level of greatness. Our right to empire cannot be denied. Perhaps it is time to consider expanding our colonial holdings. Africa is ripe for the taking, and we could even claim land with a simply show of strength and not even declare war. There was also talk of claiming Makassar earlier or even further holdings in India. These are all things to consider.
I am also pleased to see the Neapolitan people feel comfortable as subjects of Hispania once more. Italy, with Naples in particular, has been a vital part of the empire for generations, and the people of the region deserve recognition for their contribution. It is only fair that they share in the wealth of this empire. I can only hope that the Sicilian people can be uplifted to a level of prosperity on par with the Iberians and the neighbouring Neapolitans. I do wish to know what others think of these plans and perhaps if we should pursue a more concrete policy in the future. Such a method could be utilized for many different purposes going into the future. ((I’ve been considering either creating a church aspect or some event to alter accepted culture threshold or cost for changing culture.))
I have also taken note of recent disturbances regarding the proposals for constitutions. It seems that the people wish more of a say in how this empire is governed. I admit, I am uncertain how such a system would work for such a large empire as ours. I encourage members of court to continue to discuss the subject. Maybe it is time to contemplate a constitutional system for inclusive of the various segments of Hispanian society. Either that, or we should implement smaller reforms first.
((Huzzah for Naples! No mere game mechanics will keep them from being accepted under my watch. Also, if you pay particular attention to the accepted culture map I posted, you might notice that Byzantium has systematically been culling the minorities in the Balkans. Greek supremacy!
Anyway, as for our usual business, ministers have until
Monday at 12PM PST to present their plans, and I really do need some new plans. All I had to work with was an old chancellor plan that had one war we never got to, so something new would be nice. I do take over and make up own plans if ones haven’t been posted in two turns though. Players can also propose laws and reforms in that time period. The same goes for constitutions, although keep in mind any old ones need to be altered. Perhaps consider making them more favourable for all members of court to get them passed.
Pensioners:
@zenphoenix
@Robban204))