1753-1755 – The Hispanian Civil War (Part III)
((Cagliari is meant to be taken when needed later, but then I’d have to stop to trigger an event. Just ignore that it’s been captured and don’t be surprised if I act like it isn’t.))
The colonies, since before the civil war, had been demanding greater rights. Perhaps using the ongoing conflict to their advantage, they have set their demands before the two sides asking for unconditional acceptance. The Phoenixes readily agreed, while the Imperials were mixed. Ultimately the majority felt that this was not the time to antagonize the colonies and gave in. The colonies were granted their demands. Tariffs were lowered across the board to 10%. Referendums were held in the colonies to decide their state religion, with only Nova Hispania deciding to revert back to Catholicism. Nuevo Leon, despite tensions surrounding the earlier forced conversion, decided it was best to stick with the Church of Jesus Christ. Soon all the demands were implemented and the colonies were quite pleased. They wouldn’t be causing problems for quite some time.
Things heated up near Iberia. Rumours of a Phoenix fleet making its way to Granada was intercepted by the Imperials, with them sending half their heavy ships to blockade the straits. This covered up an unexpected manoeuvre. The Exercit Valencia left Granada for a bit, only to return shortly after, perhaps on a scouting mission to spot out Imperial troops. Both served as distractions, allowing a single fishing ship to sneak across to North Africa with a very important passenger on board. When the Exercit Africa disappeared into the interior, it had a new general leading its ranks.
Over near India, a Phoenix fleet tried to sail towards Africa, but ran into a French fleet. The Flota Colonial was nearby and intervened. Even with 10 more ships arriving to help, the Phoenixes had no choice but to retreat west, having lost 18 ships in the process.
In Italy, things were not going so well for the Imperials. Napoli, the old temporary capital, was captured by General Blanco, leaving the rest of Naples undefended. It was only a matter of time before the entire peninsula was occupied.
With the two Phoenix armies stuck in Granada, all Imperial armies in Iberia converged on the location. After retaking Almeria and Jaen, they made the final push. General Villanova held out against the combined might of Generals Saint-Pierre, Leon, and Trastámara for over a month, with his back against the walls of Granada. The Imperials lost thousands in their attack, but ultimately their superior numbers outmatched even the skilled Villanova. The ex-Field Marshal had no choice but to surrender, his army laying down their arms and Villanova taken into custody. His fate would be decided when the civil war was over.
As this was all going on, the Austrians tried to make a break into the Mediterranean, targeting the trade fleet operating near Genoa. The assistance of the French kept them from achieving a major victory and sent them back to the Adriatic.
The Greeks continued to fight for their Basileus against the rebels. General Kaukadenos took out an army in Macedonia, ensuring they could not get close to the capital.
As the war raged on, the common people started resorting to some strange religious craze called football. It involved some form of ceremony where a ball was kicked around, a baffling display to say the least. The Imperial military advisor became a supporter of this unknown faith and decided to devote his full time to his football career. Fortunately, a cheaper if less qualified advisor was found instead.
The French attempted to force the Austrians out of Savoy, but yet again went in with insufficient numbers. The Austrians swarmed them and sent them rushing back into the French interior. ((Missed the screenshot for this one.))
The Greeks sprung into action against a rebel force on the island of Corfu, taking advantage of their trapped position to eliminate the threat.
Just after the Imperials took out Villanova’s army in Iberia and returned to Aragon to retake Valencia, Montségur resurfaced in North Africa, marching his way through Libya. With no threat left in Iberia, Leon was charged with catching the wayward former Marshal, setting sail for Egypt soon after.
In Italy, the Imperials had neglected to leave much in the way of defence, even at sea. With the focus on Iberia, no navy was present to blockade the straits between Naples and Sicily. Blanco crossed right into Sicily and started retaking the island for the Phoenixes as the Exercit Provence occupied what was left of Italy. South Africa was also claimed for the Phoenixes.
The French finally managed to win a victory against Austria, despite another large Austrian army nearby. They managed to secure victory before the reinforcements could arrive. The Austrians tried to overwhelm the French before they could recover with a counterattack, but it backfired for them. Momentum was starting to swing in favour of France.
The fate of the whole civil war was not to be decided in Iberia or even Italy, but Egypt. Montségur rushed for the Suez Canal, trying to secure the waterway for the Phoenixes. The timing proved incredibly unfortunate for him though. Just as he neared Alexandria, the Flota Colonial entered the Suez Canal with the Exercit Colonial. With news of Montségur’s arrival having reached the area, the Exercit Colonial unloaded on the west bank and prepared to hold the Canal against Montségur. However, just as Montségur was marching through the deserts of Egypt, Leon was sailing across the Mediterranean to catch him. Ships proved faster than men, with Leon and his army arriving in Damietta shortly after the Exercit Colonial. Just as Montségur marched into Rosetta, almost in sight of the Suez Canal, Leon and the two Imperial armies struck. The two Hispanian generals fought it out on the Nile Delta. Montségur used the river to his advantage, but Leon had superior numbers and morale was high now that they were finally facing the traitor face to face. In an attempt to force the issue, Leon charged headlong into the Phoenix ranks, and with the numbers on his side this overwhelmed the enemy forces. Montségur’s entire army, tired from marching all the way across North Africa, collapsed into chaos. The entire Phoenix army was routed. As for the leader of the Phoenixes, he disappeared in the midst of battle without a trace. Without their leader though, the Phoenix cause was certain to collapse.
((I gave alscon permission for his character to get away if he didn’t die in battle provided he doesn’t return to Hispania. He can be a boogey man for Hispania, used to scare small children.
For now, Montségur has another purpose in life that will probably be revealed later on.
As for what this victory means for the coup, I’ll explain at the end of the update.))
With that done, Leon started marching across North Africa to take Tunis for the Imperials. The Exercit Colonial set sail for East Africa.
Just as the most important land battle was waged in Egypt, the most important naval encounter occurred off the coast of East Africa. The Phoenix fleet had gathered in the region to make a push for the Suez Canal, ready to move into the Mediterranean once Montségur captured the Canal. However, Admiral Liu Binhan, after hearing of the encounter with the Flota Colonial near India earlier, had sailed down the coast of Africa looking for the escaped ships. Thus the two fleets ran right into each other. The Phoenixes had more than four times as many ships, but the Imperials had by far better ships and a superior admiral. Unlike with the battle between Leon and Montségur, numbers were not enough here. Not only did the Admiral decimate the enemy fleet, he did so without losing a single ship and even managed to capture two. A hundred ships had sunk to the bottom of the Indian Ocean and took any dreams of a Phoenix navy with them.
In August, King Karl IX of Scandinavia passed away, with his son ascending to the throne as Gustav V Adolf.
The Basileus’s army continued to force defeat after defeat on the rebels. Despite the superior skills of Pausanias Mandromenos, the coup was disorganized and none of the forces were cooperating.
Soon all of Aragon excluding Valencia was secured for the Imperials, with an army marching on to Galicia. General Francesc de Trastámara set sail for North Africa to help Leon occupy the region.
As for Italy, General Blanco had retaken Sicily and returned to Firenze. Word from Iberia and Egypt had not been good, and he was cut off from the other theatres of war. Without a navy to assist him, he had few options before him. The best he could do was pester France in the hopes of assisting Austria or making his way to Iberia.
Even with a war raging on, colonization occurred as though nothing had happened. The colonies in Pipil and Lesser Namaqualand became self-sufficient, despite the fact that that the latter was in South Africa and occupied by the Phoenixes.
As the Exercit Colonial landed in East Africa and started securing the region, the remnants of the Phoenix fleet faced off against Admiral Liu again and was defeated in entirety. Now only the Flota Genoa in Valencia remained for the Phoenixes.
Attempts to pester France had not gone over well. The French finally managed to organize a proper offensive. The Exercit Provence lagged behind and Blanco did his best to save them, but ultimately the French inflicted a major blow on the remnants of the Phoenix army, which could only flee to Northern Italy.
Blanco’s army did provide a distraction for the Austrians to allow them to remove a French army from Novara at least.
As resistance crumbled away and it seemed certain that the coup had run its course, Emperor Alfons IX officially came of age. The regency council was officially disbanded, although the Council appointed by the Regent was kept for now until order was restored. The court was gathered in Corsica for an unofficial crowning of the Emperor, for the official ceremony was to occur once Valencia was retaken.
((Private - Imperials))
Presenting His Imperial Highness, Alfons IX de Trastámara, Emperor of Hispania, Caesar of Rome, and Protector of the Greeks.
This unfortunate episode in Hispanian history will soon draw to a close. The ringleader, Montségur, has vanished, leaving the Phoenixes without a leader. With Villanova in our custody and Blanco struggling to hold out in Italy, it is only a matter of time until order is restored. I pray that we may all overcome the difficulties that have arisen from these circumstances and band together to restore Hispania to its former glory.
Even with the end of this coup in sights, there is much that we must do. This was not some random occurrence, a blatant grab for power with no motive but personal gain. Montségur may have descended the Empire into chaos with his actions, but he was right that the Empire has stagnated and needs reform. Too long have we lived content with the spoils of our many victories and the steady growth of our empire. Things worked the way they were, so why change them? But change them we must, or we will soon experience another situation similar to this coup but on a larger scale. Montségur wanted to turn me into a figurehead, to shift the balance of power and set the army above all. This is not the answer, and our victory assures that it will not be. What we strived for is a balance, one where the monarch stands above all and guides their subjects like a father guides his loving children. A monarch must play an active role in the administration of the Empire, but in turn must listen to their subjects and allow them to express their opinions so that the monarch may do what is best for the people. We live in enlightened times, and I wish to serve as an example of that. I refuse to be a powerless figurehead when I can use the position granted to me by God to improve the lives of the Hispanian people. Some of my predecessors favoured reform, but they lacked the initiative to carry through with them. They relied on the court for such things, but those reforms never came to light. I promise that after things settle down, I will be placing reforms before this court to see change in the Empire. The countless lives lost in this conflict will not have been lost in vain.
((Well that’s pretty much the end of the coup.
@BelisariustheGreat may choose to continue on if he wishes, but with Montségur and Villanova gone, much of the support and land will defect back to the Imperials. He may also choose to flee Hispania and live another day, and thus the coup will officially end here.
You may notice I haven’t included any spam screenshots or appropriate maps. I also have not posted anything to the private chats. All the relevant information is in the update for the coup, but if it does end here I shall post the usual stuff for ministers. I won’t set an official deadline until then. What I can do is start a vote for the government type in the meantime. The Imperials were tossing around the idea of becoming an Enlightened Despotism, and I shall permit it despite the government type not being officially unlocked yet. All Imperials will thus vote on whether to adopt it or not. If we do not, someone better start writing up a constitution or we’ll be stuck with administrative monarchy forever.
For those wondering, Enlightened Despotism is meant to work as a mix of absolute and constitutional monarchy. The monarch will technically have absolute power, but they are expected to have their subjects’ best interests at heart by following Enlightenment ideals. The emperor will have unlimited vetoes and no longer gets a permanent penalty to coup chance for the rest of their reign for using it too much. Instead, every time a veto is used, their legitimacy drops. I will also be tying legitimacy to coups for this government, so lower legitimacy means coups are more likely to succeed. I’ll be adjusting the rules for this at some point. So basically if the monarch starts going against the court too often and using their veto, their legitimacy will drop and coups will be easier to pull off. Anyway, here’s the vote. Remember, only Imperials need to vote.
Enlightened Despotism:
Yes/No/Abstain
I’m not going to set a deadline yet, since I need to know if the coup is officially over or not first. If a majority of Imperials votes one way, I’ll end it. This is going to be a one player-one vote thing, since VP has been thrown off by the coup. May as well make it OOC as a result.))