1519-1523 – Westward, ho!
With the defeat of Castile and the acquisition of large stretches of land on the western coast of Africa, the Aragonese economy was flourishing. Using his influence in West Africa as the head of the Trans-Pyrenean Trading Company, Maxime de Saint-Pierre ensured that all the valuable trade goods in the region made their way back to Aragon. Valuable ivory, and the occasional slave, was shipped to Aragon and then sold across Europe. Aragon had a dominant position in the region for now.
The loss of men during the recent war was still fresh in people’s mind. A general commitment around court was made to let the population recover before more men were sent off to fight for their king. It was estimated that the army was 16k under strength and that the kingdom should have nearly 40k in reserve. The kingdom had a long way to go.
The Castilians did not take long to try to undermine Aragon from within. A spy was caught in Granada trying to lay claim to the province. The attempt was laughable, for Castile had little to no chance of ever taking it now.
Down in Africa, the natives of Karou were quite restless. They rose up and attacked the mercenary army stationed in the province. Their weapons and tactics were no match for the superior mercenaries. Half the natives were slaughtered and the rest scattered into the wilderness. To keep the natives in order, the King arranged to hire two more mercenary regiments to be sent down to Karou. He also accepted the service of a conquistador, Denis Philippe de Montségur, to lead the mercenaries to pacify the population. The man seemed more interested in exploring new lands, but the King stated he would not waste men on exploration as long as Africa remained rebellious.
In matters of foreign affairs, an alliance was signed with Bohemia, the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Bohemia was facing a tenuous position in regards to the Empire. Austria and Hungary had grown quite large and an alliance between the two threatened Bohemia. Then there were the incursions by the Polish into the Empire from the northeast. An alliance with Aragon seemed a good counterbalance. The earlier marriage between Little Ferran and Princess Anna of Bohemia certainly helped seal the deal.
Far to the west, Explorer Alejandro Sancho was finally getting his chance to discover new lands. Now no longer at war with the Portuguese, he was able to chart the waters off a new continent without interference. He even attempted a few landings, and in one instance encountered a barbaric tribe of people who may have been the “gorillae” discovered by another explorer. He attempted to offer them some baubles to calm them and met with some success. His journey had revealed much of what some called Brazil. What other wondrous things would he find next?
When Sancho returned to Aragon to re-supply, the King granted the explorer Ferdinand Xaver Lübecker the chance to explore the waters of Safi, which took but a few months. When he returned, the King requested that Sancho then explore the waters near Sevilla to ensure the Portuguese did not have more islands nearby to threaten Aragon.
Another three barques were put under construction so that two exploration fleets could be sent out at once. At the same time, all the galleys in the navy and the one early carrack were mothballed until such a time as war seemed likely.
The excitement of discovering new lands was starting to get to the court. Many felt a celebration was necessary for such an occasion. The King decided to fulfill their wish and hold a grand ball at the palace. It was a joyful event, and perhaps a distraction as Venice made another go at Serbia.
In October of 1520, the three barques were complete and ready to sail the unknown waters of the New World. King Ferran III granted command of the ships to Explorer Ferdinand Xaver Lübecker so that he could chart the waters south of the region known as Brazil. This new continent seemed vast, but surely India must just be beyond it?
The extra mercenaries finally arrived in Karou and launched an offensive against the hostile natives before they could strike again. Conquistador Denis Philippe de Montségur led the successful attack, pacifying the natives for good.
With the need for sturdier ships to brave the Atlantic Ocean, much thought and money had gone into designing better ships. Eventually the brightest naval minds in Aragon devised the carrack and caravel design for ships. These ships were much better at sailing against the wind, making them much more manoeuvrable. With these new designs, the King wanted to ensure the navy was as up to date as possible. A call was made to update all outdated ships in the navy, starting with the single barque escorting the transport fleet. The rest would come later when funds were available.
With the native threat in Karou gone, the mercenaries were shipped a bit north to garrison colonies taken from Castile and Portugal that had once belonged to Jolof. A rebellion was feared, so armed forces were needed in the area. Despite this, the army’s funding was cut for the time being. A rebellion wasn’t expected too soon, so cutting costs couldn’t hurt. At least Sierra Leone was quiet for now, having accepted Aragonese rule.
The kingdoms of Eastern Europe continued to expand at an alarming rate. The latest was Poland, who had extended into the Baltic and was threatening the Empire. With Lithuania still on a leash, they were a formidable power.
Attempts to keep the Castilian population in line were going very well. Aragon’s control of Iberia was practically uncontested at this point and they had the power to keep the Castilians down.
King Ferran III’s pious nature was becoming well-known and drawing attention from Catholics worldwide. A member of a holy order even offered his services to the court. Many were surprised that instead of hiring him, the King used the remaining funds in the treasury to upgrade the navy’s sole heavy ship.
Alejandro Sancho returned in January of 1521 with a report that the waters just beyond Iberia did not possess any islands other than the Azores. It would seem that there was nothing but water directly west. With that mission done, Sancho’s request to return to Brazil and explore further up the coast was granted. The Portuguese who had attacked him had come from that direction, so it seemed logical that they had their colonies that way. It would not hurt to know exactly where they were.
The expansion of the navy continued with four more caravels to form a second trade fleet. Even as the navy expanded, Aragon’s oldest enemy, Castile, took a blow and Morocco became that much more of a threat. Morocco had successfully kicked Portugal out of Africa and nabbed the Canaries. The independence of Galicia was an added surprise. Castile had been humbled. In a surprising move, they attempted to normalize relations with Aragon. In an even more surprising move, King Ferran III agreed. The King stated that while perhaps relations with Castile would never be positive, it would be sinful to continue such an aggressive policy against them while the heathens expanded at their expense.
As previous monarchs had done before, Ferran III took the extra effort to further develop the provinces of Aragon. Funding was put into boosting the productive capabilities of Cuenca, while recruitment centres were established in Rioja, Cagliari, and Sassari. It was hoped that the efforts in the last two would allow for a functioning naval base. ((I want to boost development to build a shipyard in those two provinces. Sassari is now available, but Cagliari needs more work.))
In November of 1521, the second trade fleet was finished and sent out to the Ivory Coast to bring the wealth of Africa to Aragon. Meanwhile, Austria expanded at Augsburg’s expense, completely encircling Salzburg and Bavaria’s capital.
Sancho returned in May, having explored the coast northwest of the original area he explored. His venture had revealed much, including the colonies of both Castile and Portugal. The mysterious Portuguese Colombia was even found. Invading their colonies was now a real possibility in the result of war. Upon his return, Sancho petitioned the King to explore even further west. The entirety of the continent must be revealed.
Venice finished their war with Serbia, taking yet another small piece. Poor Serbia continued to be victimized and yet kept holding on. And as they were eaten away, Byzantium became more and more threatened.
In June of 1522, the decision was made to send a missionary to Cayor, one of the more troublesome African provinces. If the locals could be converted, they could better be kept in line. The problem was that the conversion efforts would surely raise hostility. A month later, the same decision was made for Trarza. The Inquisition put its full might into this effort.
In an attempt to ensure Aragon maintained its trade dominance in the western Mediterranean, the trade fleet operating out of Sevilla was upgraded in its entirety, a costly but worthwhile initiative. The money brought in by the TPTC from Africa was a clear sign of the value of such trade. Despite that, not every merchant was successful. One Aragonese merchant went bankrupt, but the Crown did not want its trade threatened. A loan was offered to the merchant to help him get back onto his feet. If Aragon did not support its merchants, how could it expect to benefit from the wealth they brought in?
As efforts were made to develop the port of Vizcaya, the Mamluks were facing problems. Unlike Aragon, the Mamluks had not done as well maintaining their expansive growth. They were paying for it now, not that anyone in Aragon was upset about it.
In November of 1522, Lübecker returned from exploring the region called Rio de la Plata. The new continent extended far to the south and seemed to go on forever. An island was even found far from the coast. When he returned to court, the King requested he continue exploring further south to see if a way around this continent could even be found. Perhaps it extended all the way to the end of the world.
Naval expansion continued on at home. Two carracks were placed under construction. With the increased naval presence needed outside the Mediterranean, ships bigger and better than galleys were needed to defend Aragon’s interests.
Even during peace time, generals weren’t safe from harm. While cleaning his gun after a training exercise, General Jean Charles de Fidèlle accidentally shot himself. The man survived the wound, but would never lead an army again. General Stefano von Thun had to be recalled from Greece to take up command of the Neapolitan army.
February of 1523 brought some troubling news. Tuscany had declared war on the Pope and had called on Aragon for assistance. France had already honoured their alliance with Tuscany, while Poland, Switzerland, and Genoa were aiding the Pope. The last one was of particular note. Genoa was involved in the war without Austria or Hungary to back them up. Still, it was the Pope and the King in good conscience could not declare war himself. The court would have to be consulted over the matter.
((Spam. I’ve included a screenshot of potential rivals so our Chancellor can pick one, since we have a free slot. I'm thinking I should start putting these in spoilers.))
((I shall now include all the provinces that can be colonized. It should be noted that everything west of the Amazon is in either the same region as Castile or Portugal, and I believe we get penalized for colonizing in the same region as another Catholic nation. I’d recommend sticking to Brazil, which is unclaimed for now.))
Presenting His Majesty, Ferran III de Trastámara, King of Aragon and Protector of the Greeks.
I must admit, I am most conflicted at the moment. Our allies, the Tuscans, ask us to aid them in war, but that would require us to fight the PapalState. To go to war with the HolyChurch is not a decision we can take lightly. It is true that in the past, the Holy Father has perhaps shown a lack of compassion for Aragon as he eyes up our land, but he is still head of the Church. Yet Genoa fights alongside the PapalState, an opportunity we cannot surely miss. My honour requires me to aid my ally, but my faith tells me to not dare oppose the HolyChurch. I believe it is best that I let the court decide such matters. I am not of the right mind to do so. Take time to discuss the matter amongst each other before we deliberate to make a final decision.
Before the war was officially declared by Tuscany, I received an offer from the Medici family within Florence. The Medicis own one of the wealthiest banks in Europe and have great influence in Tuscan politics. It would seem that they aspire to sit amongst the royalty of Europe for they have sent an offer to marry their daughter to my eldest son Alfons. Many might consider a union between one of royal blood and one without quite scandalous, but Tuscany, and thus the Medicis, is our ally. They have also offered a sizeable dowry for such a match. I shall contemplate this for some more time before bringing it before the court in an official matter. ((I intend to make this a special event for the vote.))
((Ministers have until
Saturday at 9am PST to present their plans. Anyone should feel free to pick provinces for colonization if you want to back them. I forgot to take screenshots for exploration missions, so I shall do that later.
Pension time! Time to pass Go and collect $200 for these people:
@GameHunter5303
@strategymad3500
@Luftwafer
@RyuDrago
@Emilersej
And as for our dying:
@fedzel
@01smito01
@Egil4950))
