THE DOGES AAR: wars for Italy.
The mighty repubblic of San Marco started in a weak position,w/o tax collectors, w/o allies, with a low land technology. Doge Agostino Barbango, tried to manage out the country from this position, by making some reform and triying to find a strong alliance to get in.
1493, he was able to fullfill a huge taxation reform, the same year he went throug a smart army reform, he increased the army ability introducing the suisse square among venecian troops. This tactic has to be trained but we are on the right way i guess.
In foreign politics, Agostino succeeded entering the france alliance, an alliance able to protect our interest in Italy against the austrian evil designs. Venice will make everything the next years to avoid foreign conquest in Italy. This is our goal and this is the reason of our interventetion in italian wars.
Let’s take a look to the
Venice Chronichels Book:
21th september 1492: venice declared war on Mantua, we have ancient claims on this province, and owning it will ensure our Milanese border. Intrigous austrian rulers shouted and cried, they want accept a conquest, it seems they fear rampaging venecian power. Much easier they fear to be hindered in a italian conquest from Venice. Meanwhile the HRE is in a flame, Denemark and Poland warring everywhere, but the emperor dont care for his land, he care for Mantua!!! This is very strange.
9th july 1493: the pope declared war on the alliance of italian minors, composed of Toscana, Modena, Genova and the Knights. The pope must be mad: in fact this alliance isn’t that powerfull, but it’s completely silly to war them alone.
24th august 1493: after failure of diplomatic talks, between the courts of Venice, France and Austria, the Doge declared Mantua as our province. We at the court are really crippled to hear that the emperor of Wien is triyng to inherit Bohemia and Hungary even if local nobles dont like them as theire own ruler.
Venice is against this emperor project, and the OE, France and Austria too has to know this.
Venice suggest an European council for Hungary if the weak Jagellone will still lacks on heires next year and will still go for a pro Habsburg politic.
24th september 1493: Napoli Kingdom declared war w/o a good reason to the Holy Papal Church. We are really upset. Even if Napoli is under Spaniard protection this dont avoid us to shout and act for a revenge against those bastards. To attack the poor troubelled and weakened, for the war, Pope is an act of rare cowardess. Venice is all in trouble, our mighty fleet will sail soon tho bring to the south the armies that will punish them.
29th June 1495: the Knights took Romagna and Marche in a peace deal from the Pope. Venice all dont know what to think about this. This land still stay to a church entity, a monastical instead of the official one. The Doge told me he will act hostile only if the Hospitalers will act against italian population. Meanwhile the Pope is in a great danger. The other italian minors are sieging Rome. But all this is only the popes fault.
7th december 1495: France dowed italian minors alliance to try to save Rome and the Pope.
27th jannuary 1496: the Doge declared war to italian minors alliance, against his will, all Venice hates to go to war against our brothers, but the Pope, even if had acted silly is our ally after all. After our court had been informed that the Knights made brutalism against italian population in Romagna, the Doge decide that venice could eventually keep the province for itself, to protect one more time italian population.
7th april 1497: the war in the south is going well. All of Napoli is in our hands. This is an unique occasion to close our Adriatic shore and make it definitly a Venecian lake, by keeping Apulia. Romagna is taken and Marche too. But the Knights didn’t give up, we have to keep fighting against them. 7th april: the Habsburg puppet Jagellons declared war against our repubblic. Austria, the principal, joined as well. Venice court had been informed that the envy of the Emperor bringed to this war. We will fight to the end this war. No lost will be accepted. Honur to France that joined this war.
August 1497: all of our continental possesion are in the evil imperials hands. But Venice and the isles, due to our unvincible fleet, are save. The emperor will never get us. The war in Toscana is going well. Firenze is taken it’s the turn of Siena. Our spymaster in Spain informed the court that Spain and England are plotting against us and France. We are really worried about this diplomatical game. But Spain is not that strong on the sea. We have not to worrie so much think the Doge.
4th may 1498: France King made peace with Napoli over our head. We’ll gain Apulia, Adriatic lake will be our lake, but this could had been an error, crippeling Spain so much.
28th december 1498: Napoli people throwed into the sea all the spaniards in theire land. Spain has no more a claim over this country as it is no more theire vassal.
1st october 1499: the knights finally accepted our peace. We get Romagna, Marche will stay with them, but against our point of view.
13th jannuary 1500: Austria annexed Milan. Really dont know for what the emperor is looking italy. Probabily german girls are not beauty enough and he needs italian land to find some real beauty. Cannot blame him for this, but italian land should stay to italian contries.
12th may 1500: and finally all our fears and nightmares bacame true: Spain and England formed an anti french and venecian coalition. Spain attacked France into the south and England into the north. We, after a quick peace with Toscana, made a succesfull counterattack in Hungary, but it’s not enough France seems to be into knees. Even if still fully dangerous.
27th august 1501: after 9 years war for Italy, european powers, came to an agreement. Peace is back in Europe. The agressive “pacifist” alliance, will sign a status quo peace agreement event if the shout and cries of the emperor.
