I eagerly await the day you crush the seljuks 
pay them back for manizkert!
Anyways, great AAR! As always
pay them back for manizkert!Anyways, great AAR! As always
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Excellent couple of updates nalivayko. The West has been without proper governance for far too long. It is clearly time a Roman Emperor did something about it.
The Trojans Were Wise Too Late
As Rum Seljuks clashed with the armies of Nur-al-Din in Syria, Manuel was busy breaking the last of the Normans in Malta. After a long siege the defenders were still not ready to negotiate the surrender of the island – at this rate the war between the infidels would soon be over and the Empire would not be able to take an advantage of it.
Manuel decided on a bold move: even before the conflict with the Normans was resolved, he raised four legions in Thrace and appointed Ioannes Vatatzes a supreme commander of the Imperial Armies in the East. In January an identified band of pirates made a raid on a Genoese settlement within the borders of the Empire. The Emperor blamed the Venetians and used this little accident as an excuse to confiscate Venetian property throughout the country. The spoils were used to finance the new campaign against the Turks, which started in February of 1171.
First battles with Turks showed that this war would be like no others. In previous engagements the Turks were always eager to avoid pitched battles with Imperial armies. Now it seemed as if the Byzantines and the Turks had switched places. The Romans were using old Turkish hit-and-run tactics, while the Turkish Sultan Kilij Arslan II actively sought a final engagement. It never came. Although at Myriocephalon the two sides exchanged heavy blows, Vatatzes managed to avoid a major showdown and to occupy Konya, Angora, Adana and, for a brief period of time, Sivas.
The early stages of this war quickly taught the Byzantines to rely more on the cataphracts – as infantry was completely unable to escape mobile Turkish forces. The ration between cavalry and infantry rose to 1:1, up from 1:4 in early years of Manuel’s rule. In addition, a greater emphasis was put on defensive tactics, which called for winning the war through the capture of fortresses rather than defeating the enemy armies.
Meanwhile, in the West, Manuel I finally captured Malta. The Sicilian King was captured and forced to pay large tribute for his freedom. In addition to that tribute (promised 150,000, paid 65,000) he also had to cede Apulia, Naples and Malta. By now he clearly saw the mistake he made when attacking Roman vassal Zeta - by now it was too late to change anything.
The Pope too saw his own errors all too clearly. After disastrous defeat at the hands of Germans, he faced another enemy – the city states of Italy. Since the fall of the Kingdom of Italy, these cities states were involved in a series of wars against the Holy Roman Emperor. As the outcome turned out to be not what they have desired, some of them began blaming the Pope Alexander for provoking Friedrich Barbarossa. In 1170 the armies of Pisa besieged Rome – by May of 1171 the Papacy seized to exist. The Catholic World was left without a spiritual leader – a perfect opportunity to bring the schismatic West the light of the One True Faith.
By January of 1174 the peasants could not bare the thought of another year at war and began to rise in rebellions. The Emperor quickly deemed it wise to make peace with the Turk. Roman losses were relatively light and the gains were rather adequate – the provinces of Angora and Adana to the Roman Empire and the province of Armenia to Georgia, which contributed heavily to the fighting in the eastern parts of Rum Seljuk lands. Serbs were rather disappointed with this settlement – they contributed to victory with the blood of their fathers and sons and got nothing in return. It came as no surprise when they soon broke the vassalage and declared their unwillingness to be annexed by the Empire.
Back in the West, the Holy Roman Emperor made it his goal to reclaim Rome for himself, which brought him into another war against the Italian city states. Several of his previous gains were lost and numerous Kings and Princes of the West declared war on Germany. Catholic World craved the unity the Orthodox Empire had achieved, yet the Emperor had no means to provide it just yet. As for the East, the infidel Turks should have seen it coming – the loss of Angora and Adana cut their domain in two. The Ayyubids and Azerbaijan quickly occupied the eastern part – both sides failed to reach a peace settlement and remained at war until the rest of the decade.
During the last months of war, invaded by the Turk army, Cyprus made a gamble for independence from the Empire. Isaac Comnenus – a grandnephew of Manuel I – struggled to seize the reins of power, but failed as the Emperor refused to negotiate with the traitor. Isaac raised a large army, but it was cut down by the Turks weeks before the Turkish surrender.
As the short peace was revitalizing the trade and the tax revenue department, Manuel struggled to bring the light to the Muslims of Angora. Roman missionaries were dispatched into the province, but it would take years to see whether their results would be sufficient or more direct means of persuasion would be required.
In 1178 Georgia declared war on the Cumans and Manuel crossed the Danube at the head of the 20,000-strong army. He was tempted to claim Romanian lands north of the river, but was unsure if establishing his northern border on Dniester would be such a wise move, since it would give him a common border with Rus’. Unable to make him mind, the Emperor marched all the way to Crimea, capturing Moldova, Bujak, Jedisan and Crimea along the way. The Roman army had to deal mostly with supply problems, as the Cuman Khans were already at war with the Bulgars and were unable to respond to this invasion properly.
Two years had passed and Georgians were still unable to bring this war to an end. The Emperor was getting tired of this campaign, frequently going on hunting expeditions. On one of those he was ambushed by the band of the Cumans and fell, after killing a few of them. His body was recovered by his loyal Varangian Guard and the remaining Cumans were all cut to pieces, attempting to flee the scene of the ambush.
This was a tragic day for the Empire. Just like the Emperor Leo Isaurian before him, Manuel Comnenus managed to transform the Empire from the half-rotten corpse into the live and healthy beast, which once used to reign over the entire known world. During his long and productive reign, the Emperor had conquered all of the southern Italy, caused the downfall of the Papacy and extended the Empire’s borders both in the Balkans and in Asia. He broke the pattern of defeat in wars with the Turks and rebuilt the Roman army into effective fighting machine. His wise choices when it came to the economy saved the Empire from financial collapse and when it came to politics… well, there his luck served as well as his wit.
Manuel I Comnenus was a great teacher to both his friends and foes. Unfortunately for the latter, his lessons were rather harsh and while making them wiser, ultimately led to their destruction.
As Rum Seljuks clashed with the armies of Nur-al-Din in Syria, Manuel was busy breaking the last of the Normans in Malta. After a long siege the defenders were still not ready to negotiate the surrender of the island – at this rate the war between the infidels would soon be over and the Empire would not be able to take an advantage of it.
Manuel decided on a bold move: even before the conflict with the Normans was resolved, he raised four legions in Thrace and appointed Ioannes Vatatzes a supreme commander of the Imperial Armies in the East. In January an identified band of pirates made a raid on a Genoese settlement within the borders of the Empire. The Emperor blamed the Venetians and used this little accident as an excuse to confiscate Venetian property throughout the country. The spoils were used to finance the new campaign against the Turks, which started in February of 1171.
First battles with Turks showed that this war would be like no others. In previous engagements the Turks were always eager to avoid pitched battles with Imperial armies. Now it seemed as if the Byzantines and the Turks had switched places. The Romans were using old Turkish hit-and-run tactics, while the Turkish Sultan Kilij Arslan II actively sought a final engagement. It never came. Although at Myriocephalon the two sides exchanged heavy blows, Vatatzes managed to avoid a major showdown and to occupy Konya, Angora, Adana and, for a brief period of time, Sivas.
The early stages of this war quickly taught the Byzantines to rely more on the cataphracts – as infantry was completely unable to escape mobile Turkish forces. The ration between cavalry and infantry rose to 1:1, up from 1:4 in early years of Manuel’s rule. In addition, a greater emphasis was put on defensive tactics, which called for winning the war through the capture of fortresses rather than defeating the enemy armies.
Meanwhile, in the West, Manuel I finally captured Malta. The Sicilian King was captured and forced to pay large tribute for his freedom. In addition to that tribute (promised 150,000, paid 65,000) he also had to cede Apulia, Naples and Malta. By now he clearly saw the mistake he made when attacking Roman vassal Zeta - by now it was too late to change anything.
The Pope too saw his own errors all too clearly. After disastrous defeat at the hands of Germans, he faced another enemy – the city states of Italy. Since the fall of the Kingdom of Italy, these cities states were involved in a series of wars against the Holy Roman Emperor. As the outcome turned out to be not what they have desired, some of them began blaming the Pope Alexander for provoking Friedrich Barbarossa. In 1170 the armies of Pisa besieged Rome – by May of 1171 the Papacy seized to exist. The Catholic World was left without a spiritual leader – a perfect opportunity to bring the schismatic West the light of the One True Faith.
By January of 1174 the peasants could not bare the thought of another year at war and began to rise in rebellions. The Emperor quickly deemed it wise to make peace with the Turk. Roman losses were relatively light and the gains were rather adequate – the provinces of Angora and Adana to the Roman Empire and the province of Armenia to Georgia, which contributed heavily to the fighting in the eastern parts of Rum Seljuk lands. Serbs were rather disappointed with this settlement – they contributed to victory with the blood of their fathers and sons and got nothing in return. It came as no surprise when they soon broke the vassalage and declared their unwillingness to be annexed by the Empire.
Back in the West, the Holy Roman Emperor made it his goal to reclaim Rome for himself, which brought him into another war against the Italian city states. Several of his previous gains were lost and numerous Kings and Princes of the West declared war on Germany. Catholic World craved the unity the Orthodox Empire had achieved, yet the Emperor had no means to provide it just yet. As for the East, the infidel Turks should have seen it coming – the loss of Angora and Adana cut their domain in two. The Ayyubids and Azerbaijan quickly occupied the eastern part – both sides failed to reach a peace settlement and remained at war until the rest of the decade.
During the last months of war, invaded by the Turk army, Cyprus made a gamble for independence from the Empire. Isaac Comnenus – a grandnephew of Manuel I – struggled to seize the reins of power, but failed as the Emperor refused to negotiate with the traitor. Isaac raised a large army, but it was cut down by the Turks weeks before the Turkish surrender.
As the short peace was revitalizing the trade and the tax revenue department, Manuel struggled to bring the light to the Muslims of Angora. Roman missionaries were dispatched into the province, but it would take years to see whether their results would be sufficient or more direct means of persuasion would be required.
In 1178 Georgia declared war on the Cumans and Manuel crossed the Danube at the head of the 20,000-strong army. He was tempted to claim Romanian lands north of the river, but was unsure if establishing his northern border on Dniester would be such a wise move, since it would give him a common border with Rus’. Unable to make him mind, the Emperor marched all the way to Crimea, capturing Moldova, Bujak, Jedisan and Crimea along the way. The Roman army had to deal mostly with supply problems, as the Cuman Khans were already at war with the Bulgars and were unable to respond to this invasion properly.
Two years had passed and Georgians were still unable to bring this war to an end. The Emperor was getting tired of this campaign, frequently going on hunting expeditions. On one of those he was ambushed by the band of the Cumans and fell, after killing a few of them. His body was recovered by his loyal Varangian Guard and the remaining Cumans were all cut to pieces, attempting to flee the scene of the ambush.
This was a tragic day for the Empire. Just like the Emperor Leo Isaurian before him, Manuel Comnenus managed to transform the Empire from the half-rotten corpse into the live and healthy beast, which once used to reign over the entire known world. During his long and productive reign, the Emperor had conquered all of the southern Italy, caused the downfall of the Papacy and extended the Empire’s borders both in the Balkans and in Asia. He broke the pattern of defeat in wars with the Turks and rebuilt the Roman army into effective fighting machine. His wise choices when it came to the economy saved the Empire from financial collapse and when it came to politics… well, there his luck served as well as his wit.
Manuel I Comnenus was a great teacher to both his friends and foes. Unfortunately for the latter, his lessons were rather harsh and while making them wiser, ultimately led to their destruction.
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That Pope gets all the blame! :rofl: How's the Greek Patriarch of Constantinople doing? Nice screenshots, BTW.
TreizeV, well, I don't think I crushed them, but some land is taken back...
stnylan, I agree, but it might be harder than I thought
Lord_Robertus, thank you
_Arcadian_, Patriarch is firmly under control. So far. The Pope will re-appear too, and not through a fault of mine. Glad you liked the screenshots. I had plenty of other effects stored, but in the end got tired of playing with them.'
mfigures, is it possible to get the hue map you're using for your screenshots? I'd really appreciate it.
stnylan, I agree, but it might be harder than I thought
Lord_Robertus, thank you
_Arcadian_, Patriarch is firmly under control. So far. The Pope will re-appear too, and not through a fault of mine. Glad you liked the screenshots. I had plenty of other effects stored, but in the end got tired of playing with them.'
mfigures, is it possible to get the hue map you're using for your screenshots? I'd really appreciate it.
You must take the Pope out (whatever is left of him) and establish the true Roman patriarch! And what ironic luck that the Turks assisted with Isaac's rebellion. Nice update, as always, Nalivayko.
Go Byzantium! Go and crush the infidel scum! Go and take the former vassal land that is rightfully yours! Go and crush the scismatics in the West! Go! Go! Go!
Well, if you can get through the next 25-30 years ok I think you will be able to manage it. But the next few years could be tricky indeed.
It's the ColorScale mod, which you can find elsewhere in the forum. I'll look for it in my HDnalivayko said:
Actually, I can't find it elsewhere on the forum. The link in the useful tools threads is dead.
We Sow the Wind, And Reap the Whirlwind.
The death of Manuel I Comnenus spelled the end of the illustrious Comneni dynasty. His son, eleven year old Alexios II, was ruled by his mother Marie. She was Latin and ruled with the help of the ‘Franks’, despised by the nobility, Church and common folk. Her inability to control the Empire led to the independence of Cyprus in 1180, where Isaac Comneni finally got his “empire”. Even though Cyprus remained a vassal and ally of Constantinople, the damage done would not be repaired for decades to come.
In order to win the support of the military or, at least, to get it out of her way, Marie continued to wage war on the Cumans. In January of 1181 Bulgar Khanate forced them to cede Saratow, Bogutjar, Uralsk and Volgograd. Georgians seized the chance t deliver coup-de-grace to the bleeding nomad state – in September they received Azov and Daghestan, while the Empire got Orthodox Bujak and pagan Crimea, Jedisan and Moldova. Thus, the Empire added a fourth religion to its tray. Immediately steps were taken to fortify Crimea and convert it to Christianity.
On a good side, the entire coast of the Black Sea, with the exception of Kaffa, belonged now to the Romans and their allies. One could travel from one side of Bosporus to another without ever crossing a body of salt water.
Back in the Holy Land Raynald de Châtillon, famous for his looting of Cyprus, raided the holy cities of Islam – Mecca and Medina. This brave and foolish act brought Saladin, the current ruler of Ayyubids, into direct confrontation with the West. In the same time the government of Pisa was overthrown by the Papal supporters and Papal States declared their independence from Pisa. Pope Lucius III rose to power and began preaching for a new crusade against the infidels.
In the Empire people were fed up with the rule of Marie and in September of 1182 they had a chance to express their feelings when Duke Andronicus Comnenus seized the power. ‘Frankish’ party members were brutally executed, but the new Emperor had quickly realized he would have to pacify his so-called “supporters” with force, if he plans to keep his crown and his head.
In the aftermath of this coup, Venetian government demanded trading privileges in return for support they showed to the Emperor Andronicus. The Emperor wisely refuses them. Enraged Venetians stir more trouble in the capital – their gold buys them enough mercenaries to be reckoned with, while their vile words poison the hearts of too many citizens. Fortunately, this rebellion is too brutally suppressed by the legions.
In November of 1184 Saladin of Ayybids and Kilij Arslan of Rum Seljuks sign a non-aggression pact. The former hopes to secure his flanks before attacking the last strongholds of the West in the Holy Land. The latter is still at war with Azerbaijan and has enough trouble to be thinking about the war with its southern neighbor.
Andronicus is experiencing even more trouble. In spring of 1185 Bulgars revolt and raise some 30,000-strong army, which threatens the capitol city itself. The legions quickly dispose of this new threat, but the revolt risk in Bulgaria, Rumelia and Dobrudja remains way too high to feel comfortably safe.
Finally, in August of 1185 Isaak II Angelus seizes the power from Andronicus. A formerly oppressed aristocrat, he takes the throne with the help of the common folk, after Andronicus’ terror wakes lions even inside the foxes.
On the day of Andronicus death, the Empire had hit the bottom of instability. A wave after wave of new rebellions threatened to sink the ship of the Imperial power. Alexius Branas was the man given the command of Imperial armies in the east. His military genius helped the army to come out of all the battles with the rebels unscathed and in good spirits.
In 1186 a brief war with Cumans gave Georgia Astrakhan’. Georgian Kingdom had grown considerably, but would Roman allies be able to hold on to all their conquests. Time will tell, for now the new Emperor made sure he had a sizable army in Crimea.
In 1187 the Third Crusade was declared against Saladin and the King of Jerusalem declared war on the Ayyubids, while Friedrich Barbarossa fought half of Europe in a pathetic attempt to hold onto his “Holy Roman Empire”.
In 1188 Saladin made peace with the King of Jerusalem, paying 100,000 ducats. Serbia declared war on Bosnia and annex this tiny Balkan country within the months after the start of the conflict.
In May of 1189 German Emperor took up a cross and moved through the Hungarian and Roman lands onto Jerusalem. The arrival of the crusaders brought great unrest in Thrace and surrounding provinces and a fresh wave of revolts washed over the countryside. The maraudering crusaders left relatively unscathed, while the Imperial legions had to do the dirty work of pacifying yet another peasant rebellion.
In the West the King of Aragon had annexed Provence and Toulouse, but failed to save the province of Aragon from the wrath of the Almohads. English King Henry II of Anjou died fighting his sons and Richard I Lionheart took up the throne. In doing so he added the province of Aquitaine to the Angevin empire and a month later proved his worthiness on the battlefield by conquering Orleans from French King.
In June of 1190 the German crusading contingent reached the Turkish lands, but soon the remnants of it reported back to Constantinople, heralding the death of the German Emperor. Only few of them reached Jerusalem, while the majority perished in the unforgiving deserts of Asia or went back home to Germany.
Having asked for the help of the West decades ago, Byzantine Emperors could hardly demand their withdrawal now. Their new arrivals caused only trouble, murder, rape and looting in the provinces, but once they were gone there was a greater chance to see the enemies of the Christendom weakened and the power of the Roman Empire strengthened. While English traveled by sea to Sicily, the Emperor Isaac made sure he would be prepared for all the surprises the new crusade could have bring.
With the stability still down and gold barely flowing to the coffers, Isaac II Angelus managed to improve the quality and quantity of the Imperial army. By 1190 five double legions guarded the Empire – one in Italy, one in Crimea, two in the Balkans and one in Asia. Each double legion consisted of 5,000 legionaries and 5,000 cataphracts. Imperial navy was also on a lookout for the enemy, be it the Muslim Arabs or Latin Franks.
The wind we sow turned into the whirlwind, but everything was quite in Constantinople for the moment. The silence that descended on the city reminded the Emperor of the silence before the thunderstorm. After ten years of turmoil and scores of rebellions suppressed, the worst was yet to come.
The death of Manuel I Comnenus spelled the end of the illustrious Comneni dynasty. His son, eleven year old Alexios II, was ruled by his mother Marie. She was Latin and ruled with the help of the ‘Franks’, despised by the nobility, Church and common folk. Her inability to control the Empire led to the independence of Cyprus in 1180, where Isaac Comneni finally got his “empire”. Even though Cyprus remained a vassal and ally of Constantinople, the damage done would not be repaired for decades to come.
In order to win the support of the military or, at least, to get it out of her way, Marie continued to wage war on the Cumans. In January of 1181 Bulgar Khanate forced them to cede Saratow, Bogutjar, Uralsk and Volgograd. Georgians seized the chance t deliver coup-de-grace to the bleeding nomad state – in September they received Azov and Daghestan, while the Empire got Orthodox Bujak and pagan Crimea, Jedisan and Moldova. Thus, the Empire added a fourth religion to its tray. Immediately steps were taken to fortify Crimea and convert it to Christianity.
On a good side, the entire coast of the Black Sea, with the exception of Kaffa, belonged now to the Romans and their allies. One could travel from one side of Bosporus to another without ever crossing a body of salt water.
Back in the Holy Land Raynald de Châtillon, famous for his looting of Cyprus, raided the holy cities of Islam – Mecca and Medina. This brave and foolish act brought Saladin, the current ruler of Ayyubids, into direct confrontation with the West. In the same time the government of Pisa was overthrown by the Papal supporters and Papal States declared their independence from Pisa. Pope Lucius III rose to power and began preaching for a new crusade against the infidels.
In the Empire people were fed up with the rule of Marie and in September of 1182 they had a chance to express their feelings when Duke Andronicus Comnenus seized the power. ‘Frankish’ party members were brutally executed, but the new Emperor had quickly realized he would have to pacify his so-called “supporters” with force, if he plans to keep his crown and his head.
In the aftermath of this coup, Venetian government demanded trading privileges in return for support they showed to the Emperor Andronicus. The Emperor wisely refuses them. Enraged Venetians stir more trouble in the capital – their gold buys them enough mercenaries to be reckoned with, while their vile words poison the hearts of too many citizens. Fortunately, this rebellion is too brutally suppressed by the legions.
In November of 1184 Saladin of Ayybids and Kilij Arslan of Rum Seljuks sign a non-aggression pact. The former hopes to secure his flanks before attacking the last strongholds of the West in the Holy Land. The latter is still at war with Azerbaijan and has enough trouble to be thinking about the war with its southern neighbor.
Andronicus is experiencing even more trouble. In spring of 1185 Bulgars revolt and raise some 30,000-strong army, which threatens the capitol city itself. The legions quickly dispose of this new threat, but the revolt risk in Bulgaria, Rumelia and Dobrudja remains way too high to feel comfortably safe.
Finally, in August of 1185 Isaak II Angelus seizes the power from Andronicus. A formerly oppressed aristocrat, he takes the throne with the help of the common folk, after Andronicus’ terror wakes lions even inside the foxes.
On the day of Andronicus death, the Empire had hit the bottom of instability. A wave after wave of new rebellions threatened to sink the ship of the Imperial power. Alexius Branas was the man given the command of Imperial armies in the east. His military genius helped the army to come out of all the battles with the rebels unscathed and in good spirits.
In 1186 a brief war with Cumans gave Georgia Astrakhan’. Georgian Kingdom had grown considerably, but would Roman allies be able to hold on to all their conquests. Time will tell, for now the new Emperor made sure he had a sizable army in Crimea.
In 1187 the Third Crusade was declared against Saladin and the King of Jerusalem declared war on the Ayyubids, while Friedrich Barbarossa fought half of Europe in a pathetic attempt to hold onto his “Holy Roman Empire”.
In 1188 Saladin made peace with the King of Jerusalem, paying 100,000 ducats. Serbia declared war on Bosnia and annex this tiny Balkan country within the months after the start of the conflict.
In May of 1189 German Emperor took up a cross and moved through the Hungarian and Roman lands onto Jerusalem. The arrival of the crusaders brought great unrest in Thrace and surrounding provinces and a fresh wave of revolts washed over the countryside. The maraudering crusaders left relatively unscathed, while the Imperial legions had to do the dirty work of pacifying yet another peasant rebellion.
In the West the King of Aragon had annexed Provence and Toulouse, but failed to save the province of Aragon from the wrath of the Almohads. English King Henry II of Anjou died fighting his sons and Richard I Lionheart took up the throne. In doing so he added the province of Aquitaine to the Angevin empire and a month later proved his worthiness on the battlefield by conquering Orleans from French King.
In June of 1190 the German crusading contingent reached the Turkish lands, but soon the remnants of it reported back to Constantinople, heralding the death of the German Emperor. Only few of them reached Jerusalem, while the majority perished in the unforgiving deserts of Asia or went back home to Germany.
Having asked for the help of the West decades ago, Byzantine Emperors could hardly demand their withdrawal now. Their new arrivals caused only trouble, murder, rape and looting in the provinces, but once they were gone there was a greater chance to see the enemies of the Christendom weakened and the power of the Roman Empire strengthened. While English traveled by sea to Sicily, the Emperor Isaac made sure he would be prepared for all the surprises the new crusade could have bring.
With the stability still down and gold barely flowing to the coffers, Isaac II Angelus managed to improve the quality and quantity of the Imperial army. By 1190 five double legions guarded the Empire – one in Italy, one in Crimea, two in the Balkans and one in Asia. Each double legion consisted of 5,000 legionaries and 5,000 cataphracts. Imperial navy was also on a lookout for the enemy, be it the Muslim Arabs or Latin Franks.
The wind we sow turned into the whirlwind, but everything was quite in Constantinople for the moment. The silence that descended on the city reminded the Emperor of the silence before the thunderstorm. After ten years of turmoil and scores of rebellions suppressed, the worst was yet to come.
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And the thing is - the worst is probably yet to come. Good to see you've made the best of the temporary respite, and a good image of the mixed reactions of the Emperors to the crusaders.
The whirlwind seems to be in thorn trees. I love how you now refer to the German King. Very funny. Sounds like the Roman Empire is even tougher than the German Kingdom.
I love how you now refer to the German King. Very funny. Sounds like the Roman Empire is even tougher than the German Kingdom.
War Ends Nothing
The Third Crusade was a rather confusing affair. By the time Jerusalem’s cry for help reached the Pope, the kingdom’s armies had beaten back Saladin’s invasion. Before the German contingent had reached Constantinople, Jerusalem’s knights invaded Syria. When Richard I Lionheart of England established the crusader state on Cyprus, the war was over. Saladin agreed to pay a modest tribute and the arrival of the crusaders from Europe only confirmed his resolve to end jihad against the Christians in Palestine.
Immediately the Kings and Princes of the crusading army began to look for an excuse to return home. Phillip of France saw his chance to win some of the French lands back from the English. Richard the Lionheart was torn between his desire to march on Cairo and his duty to defend his kingdom. Meanwhile, a successful raid on Aleppo, aided by Christian rebels in the province, helped the crusaders to re-establish the Duchy of Antioch.
In 1192 the crusade was officially over. Richard left the Holy Land, only to be captured by the Duke Leopold of Austria. Phillip did not miss his chance to declare war on England and was soon rewarded for his efforts when Wales declared its independence from English crown. At the same time, the whole of Central Europe became involved in a series of conflicts, which all began with the new German Emperor trying to re-assert control over the Holy Roman Empire.
In Constantinople, Isaac II was preparing for another war with the Turks. His plan was to use three double legions to attack the Sultanate of Rum, while keeping the other two in Crimea and Italy. The war was declared in June of 1194 and it immediately became clear that the number of legions involved in this campaign was not sufficient enough. The Turks possessed a much better and disciplined army and could easily match the Byzantines in numbers.
However, the Romans could still gain the victory relatively early if it was not for the treachery amongst them. For a long the Roman Emperors reminded their people the saying of Jesus: give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. Caesars controlled finances, army and even the Church. They thought nothing in the Empire could rival their power. And nothing could, except for the other would-be Caesars, who craved their turn on the throne.
In 1195 Isaac died under mysterious circumstances and Alexius III Angelus took the reigns of power in his hands. He would make a great Caesar, if he was as good of a general and administrator as he was a traitor and murderer.
Immediately after Isaac’s death the army experienced a series of setbacks. The Turks captured Angora and Adana and attempted to liberate occupied Sivas. Byzantine attempts to take the Turkish capital ended in disastrous defeats. Crimean and Italian legions were re-called to tip the balance in Roman favor, but even with them Alexius managed to fail the Empire.
In 1196 the King of Sicily called on the rest of the Western Christendom to launch a crusade against the Roman Empire. His call was answered by Flanders, Jerusalem, Cyprus and Venice, who soon gathering troops, over-taxing their peasants and building a navy. Surprisingly, neither Pope nor German Emperor agreed to take part in this expedition. France was too involved in war with England. England had recently re-annexed Wales and had enough trouble already with numerous rebellions in Britain. Finally, the conquest of Portugal by the Almohads convinced everybody else to pay more attention to Muslims rather than to the Eastern Church and its differences.
By 1197 the Imperial legions had re-captured Adana and Angora and, suffering heavy casualties, expelled the Turks from Sivas and invaded Taurus. The Bulgar insurgency continued, causing the Empire enough trouble to keep a whole legion in Europe. Alexius’s reign brought the Empire down on her knees in terms of finances and lost legions were tough to replace without more gold. By 1189 the Roman army was so weak that it could successfully besiege the last Turkish stronghold.
Then the news arrived of a huge army marching from the east, covering the sky with the clouds of dust. Georgians were coming to the rescue. After capturing Kurdistan early on, they managed to re-organize and field 20,000-strong army, which promptly besieged Konya. Its capture enabled the Emperor to dictate his terms to the Sultan. The Empire gained Taurus and Sivas, while Georgia was granted Kurdistan. The Turks were forced to pay tribute as well, although almost all of their gold was already spent on keeping the army together.
The war that almost ruined the Empire ended, leaving the Sultan of Rum with only one province in Asia Minor. Alexius, true to his coward nature, arranged royal marriages with the King of Jerusalem and Duke of Antioch, trying to secure his flank. Newly conquered territories had to be pacified and converted – and the Empire was down on its luck lately when it came to converting the non-believers to the One True Faith.
The start of the year 1200 did not bring much joy to the Imperial court. True, the Empire emerged victorious from the last war with the Turk. Yet, the price it paid was too high to bear. Alexius failures as administrator kept the stability down, inflation up and the treasury empty. The army was too small and had to rely on the navy in order to keep up with rebellions across the Empire. The navy was too small to rely on in combat. Finally, years of instability meant that Byzantines were lagging behind in technology.
In the West a new danger was brewing in Venice. Rumors had it that the doge promised his fleet to anybody, who is willing to attack Constantinople. Manuel’s confiscations of Venetian property were to be blamed for this political disaster, but it was Alexius’ weakness that ultimately attracted the Catholic dogs to the walls of the Second Rome.
Will the Empire survive this new challenge or will it fall apart, unable to stand firm, when the Emperor stops demanding absolute power and settles for selling it piece by piece to those who have the gold? Some loyal nobles and generals attempt to lessen the impact of the corruption, but will it be enough to keep the Imperial economy afloat? Will the Emperor take what’s his or will the blood have to be spilled in order for a new Caesar arise and lead the Empire to victory?
The Third Crusade was a rather confusing affair. By the time Jerusalem’s cry for help reached the Pope, the kingdom’s armies had beaten back Saladin’s invasion. Before the German contingent had reached Constantinople, Jerusalem’s knights invaded Syria. When Richard I Lionheart of England established the crusader state on Cyprus, the war was over. Saladin agreed to pay a modest tribute and the arrival of the crusaders from Europe only confirmed his resolve to end jihad against the Christians in Palestine.
Immediately the Kings and Princes of the crusading army began to look for an excuse to return home. Phillip of France saw his chance to win some of the French lands back from the English. Richard the Lionheart was torn between his desire to march on Cairo and his duty to defend his kingdom. Meanwhile, a successful raid on Aleppo, aided by Christian rebels in the province, helped the crusaders to re-establish the Duchy of Antioch.
In 1192 the crusade was officially over. Richard left the Holy Land, only to be captured by the Duke Leopold of Austria. Phillip did not miss his chance to declare war on England and was soon rewarded for his efforts when Wales declared its independence from English crown. At the same time, the whole of Central Europe became involved in a series of conflicts, which all began with the new German Emperor trying to re-assert control over the Holy Roman Empire.
In Constantinople, Isaac II was preparing for another war with the Turks. His plan was to use three double legions to attack the Sultanate of Rum, while keeping the other two in Crimea and Italy. The war was declared in June of 1194 and it immediately became clear that the number of legions involved in this campaign was not sufficient enough. The Turks possessed a much better and disciplined army and could easily match the Byzantines in numbers.
However, the Romans could still gain the victory relatively early if it was not for the treachery amongst them. For a long the Roman Emperors reminded their people the saying of Jesus: give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. Caesars controlled finances, army and even the Church. They thought nothing in the Empire could rival their power. And nothing could, except for the other would-be Caesars, who craved their turn on the throne.
In 1195 Isaac died under mysterious circumstances and Alexius III Angelus took the reigns of power in his hands. He would make a great Caesar, if he was as good of a general and administrator as he was a traitor and murderer.
Immediately after Isaac’s death the army experienced a series of setbacks. The Turks captured Angora and Adana and attempted to liberate occupied Sivas. Byzantine attempts to take the Turkish capital ended in disastrous defeats. Crimean and Italian legions were re-called to tip the balance in Roman favor, but even with them Alexius managed to fail the Empire.
In 1196 the King of Sicily called on the rest of the Western Christendom to launch a crusade against the Roman Empire. His call was answered by Flanders, Jerusalem, Cyprus and Venice, who soon gathering troops, over-taxing their peasants and building a navy. Surprisingly, neither Pope nor German Emperor agreed to take part in this expedition. France was too involved in war with England. England had recently re-annexed Wales and had enough trouble already with numerous rebellions in Britain. Finally, the conquest of Portugal by the Almohads convinced everybody else to pay more attention to Muslims rather than to the Eastern Church and its differences.
By 1197 the Imperial legions had re-captured Adana and Angora and, suffering heavy casualties, expelled the Turks from Sivas and invaded Taurus. The Bulgar insurgency continued, causing the Empire enough trouble to keep a whole legion in Europe. Alexius’s reign brought the Empire down on her knees in terms of finances and lost legions were tough to replace without more gold. By 1189 the Roman army was so weak that it could successfully besiege the last Turkish stronghold.
Then the news arrived of a huge army marching from the east, covering the sky with the clouds of dust. Georgians were coming to the rescue. After capturing Kurdistan early on, they managed to re-organize and field 20,000-strong army, which promptly besieged Konya. Its capture enabled the Emperor to dictate his terms to the Sultan. The Empire gained Taurus and Sivas, while Georgia was granted Kurdistan. The Turks were forced to pay tribute as well, although almost all of their gold was already spent on keeping the army together.
The war that almost ruined the Empire ended, leaving the Sultan of Rum with only one province in Asia Minor. Alexius, true to his coward nature, arranged royal marriages with the King of Jerusalem and Duke of Antioch, trying to secure his flank. Newly conquered territories had to be pacified and converted – and the Empire was down on its luck lately when it came to converting the non-believers to the One True Faith.
The start of the year 1200 did not bring much joy to the Imperial court. True, the Empire emerged victorious from the last war with the Turk. Yet, the price it paid was too high to bear. Alexius failures as administrator kept the stability down, inflation up and the treasury empty. The army was too small and had to rely on the navy in order to keep up with rebellions across the Empire. The navy was too small to rely on in combat. Finally, years of instability meant that Byzantines were lagging behind in technology.
In the West a new danger was brewing in Venice. Rumors had it that the doge promised his fleet to anybody, who is willing to attack Constantinople. Manuel’s confiscations of Venetian property were to be blamed for this political disaster, but it was Alexius’ weakness that ultimately attracted the Catholic dogs to the walls of the Second Rome.
Will the Empire survive this new challenge or will it fall apart, unable to stand firm, when the Emperor stops demanding absolute power and settles for selling it piece by piece to those who have the gold? Some loyal nobles and generals attempt to lessen the impact of the corruption, but will it be enough to keep the Imperial economy afloat? Will the Emperor take what’s his or will the blood have to be spilled in order for a new Caesar arise and lead the Empire to victory?
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stnylan, you're right, it is Good to know history, although I made it a rule about trying to forget it before I play. Of course, trying to forget something as big as the Fourth crusade is rather hard.
coz1, frankly, it isn't. It is Orthodox group, so catching up with the West is hard, but there aren't that many damaging events, even though last decade kept me wondering.
I think a big problem is serfdom. While GK has its population completely enslaved, Roman Empire is 50/50, which means it is really hard to improve stability.
Judas Maccabeus, Germany is still there
Lord_Robertus, want to change your name to Cassandra?
Good to know history, although I made it a rule about trying to forget it before I play. Of course, trying to forget something as big as the Fourth crusade is rather hard.coz1, frankly, it isn't. It is Orthodox group, so catching up with the West is hard, but there aren't that many damaging events, even though last decade kept me wondering.
I think a big problem is serfdom. While GK has its population completely enslaved, Roman Empire is 50/50, which means it is really hard to improve stability.
Judas Maccabeus, Germany is still there
Lord_Robertus, want to change your name to Cassandra?
And that si the qustion isn't it. I'll be very interested to see how the next few years play out.