Part XXXIV, Amalric II (1715-1742)
The destruction of the Ottomans led to new spectacular results. In 1717 Venice asked to join the Roman Empire and Amalric gladly granted this request. Once Venice had belonged to the Roman Empire and now it was again a part of it.
once again Venice is a part of the true Roman Empire
http://groups.msn.com/KingdomofJerusalem/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=3
The confidence in the Empire was now without limits and Amalric decided to subjugate the Persians and create a land connection between Aleppo and the provinces in Anatolia. He assembled large forces and attacked the Persians with full force. The Persians could not withstand the massive assault and in the end they had to hand over Adana and Sivas to the Roman Empire in 1721.
France sent a warning, and in 1725 France declared war. A couple of naval battles were fought with mixed outcome. When Amalric´s men vastly outnumbered the French they managed to win but otherwise they were defeated. In the end a peace was signed and Amalric II had to hand over 25 gold pieces to France in return for peace. Many Christians in the Holy land, including the royal family, had French origin so the treason hurt but obviously France did not care about the struggle against Islam anymore.
When Amalric II succeeded his father much had been accomplished but one important question remained; Cyprus. The Moslems on the island had once belonged to the Ottoman Empire but had declared their independence when the Ottoman Empire began to disintegrate. It was the only province in the Mediterranean still held by Moslems. Amalric and Amalric II had demanded that the Moslems should leave the Island but they refused.
Instead they held the island in a smothering grip and persecuted the remaining Christians there. Moreover the island posed a dangerous threat as a landing bridge into the holy land so Amalric decided to declare war (free CB on Cyprus-was I lucky!). Large naval forces surrounded the island and a large force landed on a beech near the main castle.
Cyprus is cleaned up
http://groups.msn.com/KingdomofJerusalem/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=4
Amalric II ordered ladders to be made, hoping that by a brave assault it might be possible to surmount the walls and take the city, God helping them to do it. The ladders were made, and in the early morning, Amalric ordered the attack. With the trumpets sounding, a splendid assault was made on the city from all sides.
The attack lasted six hours but failed. Amalric had been too reckless and had to withdraw. A council was held, and it was ordered that more artillery should be brought to the island. When the artillery had arrived from Lebanon, the knights, at the sound of the trumpets, took their places and began fire. The Moslems defended themselves vigorously. Many on both sides, fighting in this manner, often found themselves in the presence of death but still they fought on.
On the following day the work again began at the sound of the trumpets and a hole through one part of the wall was made. At the noon with trumpets sounding, amid great commotion and shouting "God wills it!," the Christians entered the city.
When the infidels saw a standard planted on the wall, they were completely demoralized, all their former boldness vanished, and they turned to flee through the narrow streets of the city. Amalric II and his men, who were attacking the wall on the other side, did not yet know of all this, until they saw the Moslems leap from the wall in front of them.
Forthwith, they joyfully rushed into the city to pursue and kill the evil enemies, as their comrades were already doing. Some infidels that had arrived to reinforce the Moslems on the island, Arabs, and Moroccans took refuge in a church rebuilt to a mosque. Others fled to a nearby temple.
A great fight took place in the court, where the infidels were unable to escape from the knights. Many fled to the roof of the old church but were shot so that they fell to the ground dead. In this church almost one thousand were killed. Amalric´s feet were coloured to his ankles with the blood of the slain. Neither women nor children were spared and so Cyprus was again a Christian island.
However after the demise of Cyprus the allied Morocco fought on. A large Christian navy approached Morocco from Algiers that now was Christian lands and spread death and destruction everywhere. The expedition captured Fez and killed 40 000 Moroccans without mercy. The Moroccans did not want any more war and a white peace was signed. In 1733 the war was over and the Kingdom was again successful.
Amalric II had a good start but his reign would soon be clouded. In 1734 nobles accused him of poor government policies (-1 stability), in 1736 he had a huge political crises due to quarrels over land in the conquered territories (-3 stability).
It was not possible for Amalric to start any wars due to the unrest in the country so he had to focus on diplomatic activity instead. In 1736 Georgia was annexed and five provinces were added to the Roman Empire. This was a major success but the downside was that a lot of rebellions occurred both in Georgia and elsewhere and the army had to be used to put down the numerous revolts.
In 1739 a revolt broke out in Syria (petition for redress -1 stability). Crimea declared independence from the Roman Empire but was subjugated and forced to become vassal in 1742. The same year the plague killed many roman citizens (-1 stability) and it almost felt that the disasters would never end.
These terrible events made it very hard for Amalric II to go on the offensive and he had to invest substantial sums to make everyone happy again. People started to doubt him and he simply had to divert the focus from himself by starting a war.
The destruction of the Ottomans led to new spectacular results. In 1717 Venice asked to join the Roman Empire and Amalric gladly granted this request. Once Venice had belonged to the Roman Empire and now it was again a part of it.
once again Venice is a part of the true Roman Empire
http://groups.msn.com/KingdomofJerusalem/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=3
The confidence in the Empire was now without limits and Amalric decided to subjugate the Persians and create a land connection between Aleppo and the provinces in Anatolia. He assembled large forces and attacked the Persians with full force. The Persians could not withstand the massive assault and in the end they had to hand over Adana and Sivas to the Roman Empire in 1721.
France sent a warning, and in 1725 France declared war. A couple of naval battles were fought with mixed outcome. When Amalric´s men vastly outnumbered the French they managed to win but otherwise they were defeated. In the end a peace was signed and Amalric II had to hand over 25 gold pieces to France in return for peace. Many Christians in the Holy land, including the royal family, had French origin so the treason hurt but obviously France did not care about the struggle against Islam anymore.
When Amalric II succeeded his father much had been accomplished but one important question remained; Cyprus. The Moslems on the island had once belonged to the Ottoman Empire but had declared their independence when the Ottoman Empire began to disintegrate. It was the only province in the Mediterranean still held by Moslems. Amalric and Amalric II had demanded that the Moslems should leave the Island but they refused.
Instead they held the island in a smothering grip and persecuted the remaining Christians there. Moreover the island posed a dangerous threat as a landing bridge into the holy land so Amalric decided to declare war (free CB on Cyprus-was I lucky!). Large naval forces surrounded the island and a large force landed on a beech near the main castle.
Cyprus is cleaned up
http://groups.msn.com/KingdomofJerusalem/shoebox.msnw?action=ShowPhoto&PhotoID=4
Amalric II ordered ladders to be made, hoping that by a brave assault it might be possible to surmount the walls and take the city, God helping them to do it. The ladders were made, and in the early morning, Amalric ordered the attack. With the trumpets sounding, a splendid assault was made on the city from all sides.
The attack lasted six hours but failed. Amalric had been too reckless and had to withdraw. A council was held, and it was ordered that more artillery should be brought to the island. When the artillery had arrived from Lebanon, the knights, at the sound of the trumpets, took their places and began fire. The Moslems defended themselves vigorously. Many on both sides, fighting in this manner, often found themselves in the presence of death but still they fought on.
On the following day the work again began at the sound of the trumpets and a hole through one part of the wall was made. At the noon with trumpets sounding, amid great commotion and shouting "God wills it!," the Christians entered the city.
When the infidels saw a standard planted on the wall, they were completely demoralized, all their former boldness vanished, and they turned to flee through the narrow streets of the city. Amalric II and his men, who were attacking the wall on the other side, did not yet know of all this, until they saw the Moslems leap from the wall in front of them.
Forthwith, they joyfully rushed into the city to pursue and kill the evil enemies, as their comrades were already doing. Some infidels that had arrived to reinforce the Moslems on the island, Arabs, and Moroccans took refuge in a church rebuilt to a mosque. Others fled to a nearby temple.
A great fight took place in the court, where the infidels were unable to escape from the knights. Many fled to the roof of the old church but were shot so that they fell to the ground dead. In this church almost one thousand were killed. Amalric´s feet were coloured to his ankles with the blood of the slain. Neither women nor children were spared and so Cyprus was again a Christian island.
However after the demise of Cyprus the allied Morocco fought on. A large Christian navy approached Morocco from Algiers that now was Christian lands and spread death and destruction everywhere. The expedition captured Fez and killed 40 000 Moroccans without mercy. The Moroccans did not want any more war and a white peace was signed. In 1733 the war was over and the Kingdom was again successful.
Amalric II had a good start but his reign would soon be clouded. In 1734 nobles accused him of poor government policies (-1 stability), in 1736 he had a huge political crises due to quarrels over land in the conquered territories (-3 stability).
It was not possible for Amalric to start any wars due to the unrest in the country so he had to focus on diplomatic activity instead. In 1736 Georgia was annexed and five provinces were added to the Roman Empire. This was a major success but the downside was that a lot of rebellions occurred both in Georgia and elsewhere and the army had to be used to put down the numerous revolts.
In 1739 a revolt broke out in Syria (petition for redress -1 stability). Crimea declared independence from the Roman Empire but was subjugated and forced to become vassal in 1742. The same year the plague killed many roman citizens (-1 stability) and it almost felt that the disasters would never end.
These terrible events made it very hard for Amalric II to go on the offensive and he had to invest substantial sums to make everyone happy again. People started to doubt him and he simply had to divert the focus from himself by starting a war.
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