The Liberation of the Holy Land (1490-95)
In february our preparations were done. We declared war on the Mamuluks who controlled Lebanon, Syria and Samaria. Judea and Sinai were owned by the Ak Koyunlu. The Mameluks were currently without allies, and should be an easy prey. All of our allies honored the alliance, though only Portugal and Genoa managed to participate in the fighting.
Armada de Napoli crossed the shores of Lebanon to initiate a siege there, While Granada Regiment unloaded in Samaria. There were no Mameluk troops in sight but a small army in Syria moving westward. We should prepare...
The Mameluks attacked our siegeforce in Lebanon, but were beaten off. The retreating Mameluks then turned south to attack Granada Regiment. In late april 1490 our army in Samaria faced the enemy, and was defeated! They retreated to Syria while the victorious enemy again marched towards Lebanon. They arrieved a month later, but were not successful. Again they were driven out of Lebanon by our men. Believing the enemy had leart their lesson the commander of Armada de Napoli was taken by surprise when they attacked our positions only a forthnight after that Our soldiers were taken completely by surprise and fled the scene.
In early june a small expeditionary force of Mamelus landed in Smyrna. Our navy had been busy blocking Lebanon and Samaria, and had not been able to intercept. Our coastal patrol in Smyrna bravely engaged the enemy navy but were beaten. However the enemy force was inferior to our standing forces in Smyrna, and the few that survived the battle were chased back into the sea.
The fleeing remains of Armada de Napoli arrived in Samaria and initiated a siege there, but were soon attacked by the Mameluk army. This time, however, the troops were better prepared, and won two battle within a month. The defeated enemy fled into Syria, and was chased by Armada de Napoli.
In late july Murcia Regiment unloading in Lebanon to reinitiate the siege there. They were accompanied by a band of german mercenaries under the command of one Colonel Günther. Günther took command of the siege in Lebanon, while Murcia Regiment marched againt Samaria.
Armada de Napoli has arrived in Syria in august to engaged the remaining Mameluk army. Again they were victorious.
Murcia Regiment arrived in Samaria to face fresh Mamelu troops from the south. They engaged them in battle but were not strong enough. They decided to retreat to Syria, followed by the enemy. In Syria we allready had soldiers ready to face the invation. With the combined forces of the Armada Napoli and the fleeing Murcia Regiment the enemy was beaten.
In january 1491 Cyprus settled for 25d in indemnities and signed a truce. The rest of the alliance stood strong.
A new regiment of soldiers from Murcia arrived to initiated a siege in Samaria at the same time as the news that Syria had fallen reached us.
In march some rebels decided to take their chance while we were at war and attacked our troops in Taurus. Ambushed and taken by surprise our army was defeated and driven out. An efforts to quell the rebellion failed in may, but in late june the situation came under control again.
After the fall of Syria Murcia Regiment had pushed west to assist in the siege of Lebanon who finally fell in on june 25th.
While we were fighting in the north, Genoa struck land further south. They besieged the province of Quattara. Leaving the siege of Samaria the rest of our troops in Lebanon were loaded on the ships of Fluta Real. The fleet arrived in Bay of Alexandria in late august 1491 to engaged hostile fleets. The navy won, and unloaded the soldiers to initiated a siege in Alexandria.
In the fall of 1491 battles were fought in Samaria, Syria and Lebanon with great success.
In january an effort was made to break the siege of Alexandria, but they did not succeed. Come february we were happy to recieve the messages that also Samaria had fallen. Now we controlled all the three northern provinces of the Mameluks. Following this the Mameluks accepted a Status Quo peace with Sardinia.
In july the rich city of Alexandria fell to the combined forces of Spain and Genoa, while an attack on Egypt was launched from sea. At this point in the war Genoa had taken Quattara, and the Mameluks were struggling to cope with our superior troops. Realising this they accepted a peace on august 5th. 1492 that gave us control of Lebanon and Samaria, Quattara to Genoa and a sum of 400d to be shared between the alliance.
Having settled the deal with the Mameluks our soldiers in Egypt withdrew to the ships of Fluta Real to be shipped back north, where they arrived in Acre in october.
But the war was not over with this. On April 23rd, 1493, Spain declared war upon Ak Koyunlu!
Our allies Cyprus, Sardinia, Genoa and Portugal joined. Ak Koyunlu had no allies either, and their two provinces of Sinai and Judea were far from their homeland and poorly defended. Luzern Regiment arrived in Judea to initiate a siege of Jerusalem in may, while Granada Regiment unloading in Sinai.
In september 1493 Ak Koyunlu got more problems, as the Mameluks declared war on them and thir newfound allies of Aden, Dulkadir and Tunisia.
As mentioned the provinces were poorly defended; October saw the fall of Jerusalem. Our soldiers marched triumphant into the Holy City. Sinai was captured in june 1494. We presented a peace offer to Ak Koyunlu with the demand of Judea, but they rejected!
To be able to put weight on our demand we had to somehow reach their homeland. Their capitol in the mountains of Nyussabin was blocked by the Qara Koyunlu in Aleppo. This was however arranged as they granted us military access to their country in exchange for our gratitude (and a possibly weakened neighbour
).
Luzern Regiment arrived in Nuyssaybin in June to attack the garrison there. The troops of Ak Koyunlu were defeated and retreated to Azerbaijan. Lübeck Regiment arrived in august. In january the enemy accepted a white peace with Portugal. Marching through the mountains of Nyussabin Luzern Regiment arrived in Azerbaijan in january 1495 to initiated a siege. They were followed by Lübeck Regiment soon after.
In may 1495 Mameluks accepted peace with Ak Koyunlu on the following terms : Return to Status Quo.
Fresh conscripted troops from Ak Koyunlu attacked our positions in Nuyssaybin and Azerbaijan, but they were no match for our battlehardened solders. We captured the province of Azerbaijan from Ak Koyunlu in August, followed by a long winters siege before we captured Nuyssaybin in April. Forced to accept our proposals, they accepted our demands: Ak Koyunlu pays 65$ in indemnities to Cyprus and become their vassals. They would have to cede the provinces of Sinai and Judea to Spain and accept the Holy Faith! (
(force conversion is cool ))
In August the reconquest was completed, when we reinstated the king of Jerusalem.
The Holy Land is liberated!!!!
(
...and the Kingdom of Jerusalem is my vassals )
(And thus ends the story... As mantioned I have other games (with newer patches) to play...)
