1464-1468 – A Crisis Emerges
With King Joan II bedridden, most of his duties were handled by his son, Prince Alfons. The man, now in his thirties, was undeniably a capable administrator, but his rough exterior rubbed people the wrong way. Despite the teachings by Diplomat Joseph von Thun, Alfons had never mastered the subtleties of diplomacy. At least he was not afraid to tackle Aragon’s enemies head on. As acting Chancellor, he declared the Ottomans an official rival the kingdom, and as long as they held land in Greece and remained heathens, that would continue to be so. If the Ottomans had a problem with it, they’d face Aragonese steel soon enough.
As Grand Admiral, Alfons kept with his plan and ordered the construction of six galleys for the navy. This would help Aragon catch up with the Ottomans and progress them towards dominance in the Mediterranean.
The passing of the Petition to Heal the Great Schism caused a great stir as Aragon used its newfound power over the Greeks to bring them into the fold. It took months of debate between the two sides before their leadership acquiesced and accepted the true faith. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople even travelled to Rome to formally embrace the Pope as head of the Christian faith. The fact that the Orthodox faith continued on in the Russian steppes was ignored. That also didn’t change the fact that most of the population in Greece was still Orthodox and was not so willing to accept a change in faith like their leaders. The situation was tense at first, with the threat of Byzantium revolting against Aragonese domination. To alleviate tensions, Prince Alfons arranged for his brother, Prince Ferran ((Not the Ferran that has been mentioned already)), to return to court after travelling across Europe and to marry a Greek princess. It was hoped that this would appease those in Byzantium. It seemed to have worked for now.
While most eyes were eastwards on the situation in Greece, Prince Alfons ordered Diplomat Renato de Abruzzi to sneak into Marriya and find any evidence of Aragonese claims on the province. If they did not exist, then he was to make them. It was expected to take a year to accomplish this task.
The quality of iron being mined in Aragon was at an all-time low, leading to inferior weapons and armour for the army. Marshal Carlos de Leon worked with the Grandmaster to arrange for a shipment of foreign iron, but such raised the costs for recruitments. All of it was necessary for the good of the realm.
After some consultation with Ioannes Kontostephanos and at the recommendation of Steward Arturo de Valencia, Prince Alfons agreed to allow the Greeks greater autonomy. It was believed that this would please those in Byzantium who did not like that Aragon held land in Greece. If the Greeks were allowed more say in their governance, everyone was happy.
In August of 1464, King Louis XI of France passed away. Prince Alfons attended the funeral with his wife, Catherine, who was very distraught at the loss of a family member. Alfons was more preoccupied with the lack of heirs his wife was producing. A future king needed an heir.
The matter of heretics and heathens had been in debate for a long time. Any attempt to convert them had met with failure. Prince Alfons did not appreciate their resilience. Attempts had been made to revive the Inquisition to deal with these unbelievers, but had not been met entirely with success. An inquisitor was hired by the Prince as the first step. This inquisitor, Jules Teyssier, joined missionaries in Epirus in the hopes of converting the populace with a little extra persuasion.
In April of 1465, Diplomat Renato de Abruzzi returned with a forged claim on Marriya, but Alfons had more work for him to do. Alfons wanted a claim on Garnatah too. He would not be satisfied until all of Granada belonged to Aragon. However, Alfons was too impatient to wait a year for the diplomat to complete his work. In October, he issued a declaration of war to Granada. Portugal agreed to aid Aragon, but Granada was all alone.
The Aragonese fleet had already been sent to wait outside of Marriya with General Lino Adrià María de Agramunt and 6,000 men onboard. With the declaration of war, he and the army landed ashore undisputed. A second army under command of General Sebastián de Loarre was shipped over soon after.
With a smooth landing, it seemed clear that Marriya would soon fall under Aragonese control. The real question was whether or not Garnatah would be the same. The Portuguese were marching through Castile and it was feared that if they reached the province first, they would besiege and claim the province. General de Agramunt took the initiative and marched on the province. He pushed his men to the limit and arrived a day before the Portuguese. He took command of the allied forces in a battle against the Granadans. They didn’t stand a chance. In the meantime, Marriya fell, allowing General de Loarre to join the ensuing siege.
The kingdom was also facing an identity crisis of sorts. The realm contained so many different peoples and cultures spanning the Mediterranean and no one was sure what path Aragon should take. Some believed Aragon was destined to deal the death blow to the heathens of North Africa. Others saw the kingdom as a military power to be feared. Some had even suggested that Aragon look west and attempt to find a path to India. Whatever the case, Aragon needed to figure out an idea for how the nation would proceed.
Marshal Carlos de Leon, under the direction of Prince Alfons, began replacing the mercenary regiments still in the armies in Melilla and Greece with normal recruits to save on expenses.
Venice threatened Greece further when they annexed both their vassals Corfu and Naxos in a short period of time. Venice clearly had no intention of leaving Greece. Tensions were sure to heighten.
In December of 1466, Garnatah fell. Knowing that Aragon was soon going to control the southern coast of Iberia, Castile embargoed Aragon, a petty move as seen by many. It didn’t change things though. Granada was annexed and their treasury emptied. Aragon had finished the Reconquista where the Castilians had failed, a great matter of pride for the people of Aragon.
At the news of Aragon’s victory, King Joan II finally found the strength to appear in court. He was frail and walked with the slow pace of an old man, but he was not as sickly as he once was. The doctor that Diplomat Joseph von Thun had asked to come over from Byzantium had greatly helped the King’s condition. In thanks, Joan II officially declared von Thun a lord of the realm. He did not hold any land, but he was now a noble of Aragon. Prince Alfons was not please by his father’s choice, but had little power to do anything about it now that Joan was managing the kingdom again.
The next year was peaceful for a change as the plan to remove the mercenaries from the army and replace them with loyal Aragonese men continued with the rest of the army. Steward Arturo de Valencia allowed the local authorities in the newly conquered lands more autonomy to ease the transition to Aragonese rule. They did not want a revolt after all. General de Loarre remained behind at the fort in Granada to watch over the population.
In May of 1467, the Pope died and was replaced by another Frenchman. It was clear that the French had a stranglehold on the Papacy with five cardinals to Aragon’s one. Some even suspected that there were those within the Holy See who were preventing Aragon from gaining a greater presence in the Holy See. Cardinal Fernando de Vascona was viewed as a reformer by some, since he spoken out against corruption and decadence that existed in some parts of the Church. The fact that he was ignored for the Papacy perhaps meant that was true in some regards.
With the kingdom holding land all over the Mediterranean and the army in Aragon now split between Valencia and Granada, King Joan II ordered that two infantry regiments and one cavalry regiment be recruited to bolster the forces in Valencia. A cog was also constructed for the navy so that this larger army could fit on the transport fleet.
1468 brought troubles for Byzantium as peasants rose up against the Emperor. Many did not approve of Aragon’s dominance of the Empire and the change in religion, so they wanted the Empire free of influence again. General Luigi Castelozzi was having none of this. He marched his army over into Achaea, and with the assistance of the Byzantine army, crushed the peasant rebellion.
An effective administration was established in Almeria in May, although the population of the former Granadan capital were much more resistant. This may have been a result of change in attitude in the capital. Many of the lords and ladies, seeing Aragon conquer land all over the Mediterranean were taking the kingdom’s strength for granted. People stopped paying attention to what was going on outside the kingdom while the nobility lavished themselves with extravagance. Prince Alfons, on several occasions, accused the nobility of being lazy and fat. No wonder he felt as though he needed to run the kingdom alone.
On 27 August 1468, King Joan II passed away in his sleep. As Joan’s heir, Alfons was crowned King Alfons VI, with his brother Ferran as his heir. ((Despite the same stats as the original Ferran, this Ferran is younger.)) He arranged a grand funeral for his father, and it was probably the only time anyone had ever seen Alfons cry. However, he quickly took up his role, dismissing the entire Council, excluding the Court Chaplain and Viceroys, by reasserting his right as king. He intended to rule with an iron fist, but he would ensure that Aragon reached true greatness. All those who aided his efforts would be rewarded, while those who stood in his way were destined to be crushed. Whether or not people felt that Alfons’s rough approach would work was soon to be tested.
Presenting His Majesty, King Alfons VI de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Naples, and Protector of the Greeks. ((Diligent, Paranoid, Cruel))
Welcome, my subjects. It is unfortunate that my father, the great Joan II, left this mortal coil. He did more for the kingdom and the Catholic faith than most could ever dream of. I only hope to keep his legacy alive, and I will do all that is necessary to accomplish that. The key to accomplishing that is a strong rule, and a strong rule requires that nothing can dispute its right to rule. While I am rightful king, and all those who think otherwise are fools, I am not unaware of the threat that exists out there. That bastard Ferran threatens my birthright and I will not tolerate it. Thus I send out this order to all my subjects:
I want Ferran dead. Find the bastard and bring me his head. Your king has spoken.
A week later letters arrive en-masse at court addressed from Ferran:
Word has reached me that my cousin, the so-called King Alfons VI, wants me dead. I have spent four years away from court, four years in exile because I did not want to threaten my beloved uncle’s rule. He was always the rightful king in my eyes. I never wanted the crown, because it was not mine to take. Despite all this, Alfons still believes I’m out to get him. Perhaps he should consider that fact that his right to the throne is not threatened because of my existence, but because of himself. He is cruel and vindictive, a menace that has turned some of his own people against him. Despite what I have said about not wanting the throne, these people would rather force me on it than see Alfons sit upon it. Well it is clear that I can no longer stand by, since my head is now on the line. I held back because of my uncle, but he is here no longer. If the people of Aragon do not want a tyrant for a king, I will step in and save them.
I therefore dispute Alfons’s right to the throne and press my claim as the son of Alfons V. I admit, the idea of being king is enticing due to the power and wealth involved, but I do not do this for personal gain. Alfons is not what is best for Aragon. Perhaps I am not either, but I am surely better than him. I hate to do this, for it will mean war for Aragon, but I must do what is necessary. Those who do not wish to see the tyrant Alfons VI rule Aragon are welcome to join me and crown me king of Aragon. May the kingdom be spared from his reign of tyranny.
- Ferran de Trastámara
((We now have a succession crisis on our hands. Both Alfons and Ferran are claiming the throne. You all now get the option to choose who is king. You will vote on your chosen successor in this format:
Succession:
Alfons/Ferran/Neutral
Be warned that your decision will have consequences. If you join the losing side, the winner gets to decide your fate. You could be imprisoned or even executed. Also no one is allowed to change their votes once they have declared for one side. If I catch anyone changing or editing their votes,
they will be executed as traitors. Be warned. You may declare yourself as neutral at first and then choose one side later on in the vote, but not once you’ve picked one of the successors. Those who declare early are more likely to be favoured by their chosen successor if they win. This vote will also be unique in that each class will impact the outcome differently. The total vote will decide the ultimate winner, but the support of each class will determine how successful they are. The less one-sided the vote is, the more likely something bad will happen. A split vote will have consequences. Keep that in mind.
Since this is a very important vote, you will have until
Tuesday at 12pm PST to pick a side. Include you character name and class as always. You are free to roleplay your part in the succession crisis before then, but the outcome will be entirely decided by the vote, so don’t go writing major victories or anything just in case your successor loses badly.))