Part 1 (1492-1542)
It is 1492 and Parma is the smallest and poorest Italian state. We control one tiny province stuck between Genoa and Tuscany. Our capital's population is just over 20,000 souls, our income is small. Our army of 10,000 poorly trained peasants is led by an unexperienced commander.
We start in a military alliance with Tuscany, Genoa and the Knights of St. John.
Our options seem rather limited. In order to survive and not be swallowed by our neighbours we must expand. In order to expand we need more money. We wait until we develop a level 3 land technology that would allow us to build artillery and cut all our investments into technological development. We send our traders to Venice and Genoa and soon we are making enough money to start building a stronger army.
Our two strongest neigbours - Genoa and Tuscany - are allied to us so attacking them is out of the question. Our neigbour to the north - Milan - appears rather weak, but has strong allies - namely, Spain and England. Our neigbour to the east - Papal States - is allied to France and Savoy. Going to war against any of those will put an end to Parma's independence. We will not stand a chance against any of our neighbours if their mighty allies intervene (and they would not miss a chance to annex a poorly defended Italian state with no strong friends to protect her).
Having no other options we wait. We slowly build up an army twice the size of that in Emilia - a neighbouring province belonging to the Papal States. We promote a bailiff in our capital and it slightly increases our income. We wait again.
Finally, an opportunity arizes. Spain declares war on France in 1512 and Papal States join the war on France's side. Naples, a vassal of Spain, sends in troops to Rome and the Pope is forced to move out his armies from Emilia. This is an opportunity I have been waiting for 20 years. Now or never! We declare war on the Papal States. Tuscany joins the war on our side, but treacherous Genoa and the Knights abandon our cause. Our 30.000 army crosses the border. We must act swiftly and effeceintly before France and Savoy, Pope's allies, can reach our capital. Tuscany, our great friend, helps us a great deal and we capture Emilia from the Pope. We immideately offer him peace in exchange for this province. The Pope refuses. Time is running out. Troops of France and Savoy are approaching Parma. Unexpectedly, Spanish army land in Italy, and Pope is forced to sign a treaty with us so that he can defend against Naples and Spain. The year is 1513 and Emilia becomes part of our possessions. A year later the Pope signs a humiliating treaty with Spain by offering it 250 gold.
We now border Venice. However, it is too powerful to even think about attacking it. Milan's alliance with Spain and England expires in 1520. It should be the best time to annex it. Yet, we are extremely surprized to find out that Milan was able to create the strongest army on the peninsula - 42,000 soldiers. Needless to say, our 8,000 army in Emilia (all that is left after the war with the Pope) would not be able to take Milan. And what if Milan attacks me? Better not think about it - it would have been a total disaster.
In 1513 we are faced again with a choice. It is nothing short of a miracle that we were able to take Emilia - it is highly unlikely that an opporturnity like that will appear again in the nearest future.
It suddenly appears to us that we don't really have to use armies to expand. Now, when we have two provinces and Milan has only one, we can vassalize it. But we must be part of the same alliance and have a royal marriage first. For several years we spend all our money on gifts to Milan. We wait until Milan's alliance with France and Spain expires and offer it to join a military alliance with us. They accept. We are also able to recruit Austria and Tuscany to our alliance. Now with Austria behind us we can feel less vulnerable.
We also enter royal marriages with most of Europe's states. Spain is the only one of the major powers who refuses.
Meanwhile, we continue investing into Milan. Finally, in 1523 Milan becomes our vassal. In 1525 and 1535 we renew our alliance with Austria, Milan and Tuscany. We are now diplomatically the strongest country in Europe. Austria is our closest ally. Our relations with England and France are very good. In 1539 our military alliance becomes even stronger when Hungary joins it.
At the same time, Milan has been repeatedly declining our annexation proposals we have been sending it since 1533. Finally, four years and many hundred dukats later, Milan becomes part of Parma. We now control one of the largest cities in Italy. All that without a single shot.
We are really excited that out investment in Milan payed off. We now turn our attention to Tuscany. We have invested a lot of gold into it in the last several years and now our relations are good enough to try another vassalization. Our fisrt several attempts fail. Finally, in 1538 Tuscany becomes our vassal.
Meanwhile, we have been successfully trying to make as many friends in Europe as we can. An unexpected present came from Naples - this southern kingdom stopped being Spain's vassal, which, in the long run, will mean that from now on Spain will not intervene into Italy's affairs. It is 1542 and it seems that noone can stop us.
It is 1492 and Parma is the smallest and poorest Italian state. We control one tiny province stuck between Genoa and Tuscany. Our capital's population is just over 20,000 souls, our income is small. Our army of 10,000 poorly trained peasants is led by an unexperienced commander.
We start in a military alliance with Tuscany, Genoa and the Knights of St. John.
Our options seem rather limited. In order to survive and not be swallowed by our neighbours we must expand. In order to expand we need more money. We wait until we develop a level 3 land technology that would allow us to build artillery and cut all our investments into technological development. We send our traders to Venice and Genoa and soon we are making enough money to start building a stronger army.
Our two strongest neigbours - Genoa and Tuscany - are allied to us so attacking them is out of the question. Our neigbour to the north - Milan - appears rather weak, but has strong allies - namely, Spain and England. Our neigbour to the east - Papal States - is allied to France and Savoy. Going to war against any of those will put an end to Parma's independence. We will not stand a chance against any of our neighbours if their mighty allies intervene (and they would not miss a chance to annex a poorly defended Italian state with no strong friends to protect her).
Having no other options we wait. We slowly build up an army twice the size of that in Emilia - a neighbouring province belonging to the Papal States. We promote a bailiff in our capital and it slightly increases our income. We wait again.
Finally, an opportunity arizes. Spain declares war on France in 1512 and Papal States join the war on France's side. Naples, a vassal of Spain, sends in troops to Rome and the Pope is forced to move out his armies from Emilia. This is an opportunity I have been waiting for 20 years. Now or never! We declare war on the Papal States. Tuscany joins the war on our side, but treacherous Genoa and the Knights abandon our cause. Our 30.000 army crosses the border. We must act swiftly and effeceintly before France and Savoy, Pope's allies, can reach our capital. Tuscany, our great friend, helps us a great deal and we capture Emilia from the Pope. We immideately offer him peace in exchange for this province. The Pope refuses. Time is running out. Troops of France and Savoy are approaching Parma. Unexpectedly, Spanish army land in Italy, and Pope is forced to sign a treaty with us so that he can defend against Naples and Spain. The year is 1513 and Emilia becomes part of our possessions. A year later the Pope signs a humiliating treaty with Spain by offering it 250 gold.
We now border Venice. However, it is too powerful to even think about attacking it. Milan's alliance with Spain and England expires in 1520. It should be the best time to annex it. Yet, we are extremely surprized to find out that Milan was able to create the strongest army on the peninsula - 42,000 soldiers. Needless to say, our 8,000 army in Emilia (all that is left after the war with the Pope) would not be able to take Milan. And what if Milan attacks me? Better not think about it - it would have been a total disaster.
In 1513 we are faced again with a choice. It is nothing short of a miracle that we were able to take Emilia - it is highly unlikely that an opporturnity like that will appear again in the nearest future.
It suddenly appears to us that we don't really have to use armies to expand. Now, when we have two provinces and Milan has only one, we can vassalize it. But we must be part of the same alliance and have a royal marriage first. For several years we spend all our money on gifts to Milan. We wait until Milan's alliance with France and Spain expires and offer it to join a military alliance with us. They accept. We are also able to recruit Austria and Tuscany to our alliance. Now with Austria behind us we can feel less vulnerable.
We also enter royal marriages with most of Europe's states. Spain is the only one of the major powers who refuses.
Meanwhile, we continue investing into Milan. Finally, in 1523 Milan becomes our vassal. In 1525 and 1535 we renew our alliance with Austria, Milan and Tuscany. We are now diplomatically the strongest country in Europe. Austria is our closest ally. Our relations with England and France are very good. In 1539 our military alliance becomes even stronger when Hungary joins it.
At the same time, Milan has been repeatedly declining our annexation proposals we have been sending it since 1533. Finally, four years and many hundred dukats later, Milan becomes part of Parma. We now control one of the largest cities in Italy. All that without a single shot.
We are really excited that out investment in Milan payed off. We now turn our attention to Tuscany. We have invested a lot of gold into it in the last several years and now our relations are good enough to try another vassalization. Our fisrt several attempts fail. Finally, in 1538 Tuscany becomes our vassal.
Meanwhile, we have been successfully trying to make as many friends in Europe as we can. An unexpected present came from Naples - this southern kingdom stopped being Spain's vassal, which, in the long run, will mean that from now on Spain will not intervene into Italy's affairs. It is 1542 and it seems that noone can stop us.
