What I meant was not in any of my games. But the one in your game is certainly quite large.
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What I meant was not in any of my games. But the one in your game is certainly quite large.
"War I abhor, and yet how sweet The sound along the marching street Of drum and fife, and I forget Wet eyes of widows, and forget Broken old mothers, and the whole Dark butchery without a soul." -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca
"In war there is no prize for runner-up." -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca
The Emperor of Hungary became increasingly angered at what he viewed as insolence from the doge of Venice. To make matters worse, Venice was making hidden deals with the Emperors subjects in Bohemia, the other country he ruled as monarch. Unheeding of Chancellor Bakocz warnings and advice, ULaszlo II declared war against the Venitican doge and the lands of Venice on June 25th, 1500. What proved to be even more foolhardy was that the Emperor declined to invite his allies to this war. Some believe this was because he feared for the safety of Helvetia, but most believe it was just foolish pride.
It is said when word reached the Doge of the declaration he laughed, thinking that Hungary had pressed its limits this time. Venice called on its many allies, all of whom answered the call. Soon Hungary found itself surrounded as Bavaria, Lithuania, Ragusa and even Bohemia itself joined Venice in war against the Empire of the Double Cross.
Royal marriages were broken and Hungarian princesses locked away in respective countries. Bohemia itself was taken control of by a power hungry coalition of nobles in the Snem, led by Duke Pavel Kladishko.
The war itself was one of chaos for Hungary. Citizens, previously believing themselves safe from the trials of war fled their homes, as Hungary was invaded and attacked from all sides. It is commonly believed that the first true warfare began on July 24th. But it was not a single battle that occured, but three.
In the north Bavaria, sent thousands of Knights over the border into Tirol. Farther south, Ragusa invaded Dalmatia, employing a brand of firearms themselves. Lastly, the Venitians, confident in their superiority of the sea landed a massive army of over fifteen thousand troops on the shore of greek Smyrna to the shock of the local force.
The military of the Empire of Hungary however did not sit and wait for itself to be attacked, but was already on the march to cripple its enemies when news of the invasions reached the King and his advisors. The Hadsereg bol Magyarorszag commanded by a promising young general, baron Harsemund engaged in combat with the armies of Venice directly outside the city itself, ready to make use of the new gunpowder weapons.
On August 1st, the castles of Carpathia were put under seige from the rebellious bohemians. With no army to defend the region, worries that this war could not be won began to come from the lips of the nobles. This was only further heightened when word was recieved that the Ragusans had utterly destroyed the Hungarian forces in Dalmatia.
Good news halted these worries briefly when on the seventh of august the Hungarian army won the battle of Tyrol, destroying a vast portion of Bavaria's outdated military. Elsewhere in the country the army stationed in Presburg clashed with another army of Bohemian scum.
By the 11th the Bohemian army in Presburg was humbled and sent fleeing back towards Moravia. On this same day the battle outside Venice ended with an astounding victory for Hungary. Troops soon set up around the city and brought in the heavy seige weapons, knowing that if Venice fell it would give them a key bargining chip in the peace process.
The following day more blood was shed as Lithuania, a country that the King believed was on good terms with his own made its first moves of the war. Two armies stormed into Bujak and Moldavia, raping and pillaging as they went. At the same time however the 12th was a day of celebration. The mighty army Venice landed in Smyrna was soundly defeated and forced back into the sea, securing the southern lands from invasion.
The war continued to rage throughout the Empire of Hungary and while many battles were won, aside from the victory outside the walls of venice, this war was one of defense, the military advisors all knew that if things did not soon change, all hope would be lost.
By the 20th of August, the year of our lord 1500, Bohemia sent forces into Ostmarch, only to be destroyed utterly by the firepower of the defending german citizens of Hungary. In the east Lithuania claimed victory in Bujak, though it was far too costly and their army had not the numbers to seige the large territory. It is also at this time that the Translyvannian regiment comprised mostly of the Order of the Dragon engaged the Bohemian force in the Carpathian mountains outside a small monestary. The fearless knights of the order won victory after victory against the spineless Bohemians, slaughtering them by the thousands.
The tide of war seemed to be changing slightly, near the end of August Bavaria once more attempted to take Tirol, but past lessons were repeated as their army was butchered and forced to retreat after fighting the forces of Hungary for less than twenty four hours. Lithuania was also finally pushed out of Moldavia in a long and reportedly epic battle that centered around one of the northern fortresses of the cel Mare family.
However not every battle could be a victory, combining their forces Bavaria and Bohemia joined their armies together and stormed violently into Ostmarch with over ten thousand mounted knights and a compliment of infantry about the same. The defenders of Ostmarch fought well, but in the end even their new gunpower weapons could not save them. Fire and destruction ripped through the province as enemy soldiers settled in for a seige. On the 24th of september, a small group of Hungarian knights from the Order of St. Stephen attempted to force the invaders out, but their proved to be too many of them. On the 10th of October, the knights were routed, returning to Presburg to regroup.
Upon their return to Presburg, the Knights spirits were raised. Despite their defeat and the loss of many brothers in arms, they learned that victory had been claimed in Venice, the city now in the hands of Hungary. Furthermore Mantua was now under seige as well.
Tales say that much of the great beauty of Venice was forever lost that october as vengeful magyars, croatians, and germans destroyed anything that was nailed down and looted what was not.
In the middle of November, the allies of Venice attempted to turn the tide of battle once again. Lithuania, on orders from its King, mustered a mighty army and marched into Moldavia, intent on capturing the region. At around the same time Venice once more sought to capture the coasts of Smyrna, insolently landing thousands of troops.
"When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic." -- George Orwell
In both cases the outcomes were the same as before. Lithuania's army was defeated in Moldavia, only to return in the harsh winter of december and be routed once more. In Smyrna the banner of Venice fell bloodied to the greek coast once again. The Venitians were completely annihilated, leaving thousands of corpses to rot on the shore.
Inspired by the victories when 1501 came around, several armies marched together to battle the Ragusans in Dalmatia, in hopes of lifting the cruel seige. Unlike their allies though, the army of Ragusa remained confident and strong. Gunpowder weapons met Gunpowder weapons, spraying death across the fields. It was the Serbian army of Hungary that broke in the end, fleeing back to the safety of Belograd castle where they might lick their wounds.
On the 24th of January, 1501 Mantua fell to the Hungarian army. In addition, Lithuania was once more repelled from Moldavia, humiliating them to no end. It is for that reason that the Lithuanian King sent everything into Moldavia on the 20th of February, winning a victory over the brave Moldavites. While Lithuania had won the battle on thier fifth attempt, it made little difference. For it was believed that despite all the odds, this war would go to the Empire of Hungary.
This mode of thought was further strengthened when on April 18th, after ten days of fighting the army of Hungary defeated the Ragusan military in their province of Romagna. On the 17th the serbians, strengthened by a corp of Albanian mercenaries, once again attempted to break the seige of Dalmatia. While the battle went down to the wire and thousands upon thousands died upon the plains, in the end the seige was broken on the 5th of may.
Three days latter the Doge of Venice offered the Hungarian Emperor a peace to end the war. Mantua province, 120 bars of gold and allowing the Hungarian merchants to once more trade within the city. Urged by Chancellor and Cardinal Bakocz, ULaszlo II accepted the terms of peace. The war had ended in victory. ULaszlo II used that victory to strengthen his power, but he treaded on thin ground. Ten of thousands upon thousands of Hungarians had lost their lives in the war. In addition, Bohemia still denied the monarch his rightful place, remaining under the control of the ambitious Duke Kladishko.
As the armies marched home, many were glad to see rebels up in arms against the government of Ragusa in Romagna, though it is unfortunate that they failed.
Despite the victory, the Empire of Hungary suffered a great defeat that it did not even realize until far later. Some time during the seige of Dalmatia, the mysterious monk known as Edgar of Foor had fallen into the hands of a group of Ragusan soldiers. A spoil of war that would change the course of history.
"In war there is no prize for runner-up." -- Lucius Annaeus Seneca
The Emperor of Hungary became increasingly angered at what he viewed as insolence from the doge of Venice. To make matters worse, Venice was making hidden deals with the Emperors subjects in Bohemia, the other country he ruled as monarch. Unheeding of Chancellor Bakocz warnings and advice, ULaszlo II declared war against the Venitican doge and the lands of Venice on June 25th, 1500. What proved to be even more foolhardy was that the Emperor declined to invite his allies to this war. Some believe this was because he feared for the safety of Helvetia, but most believe it was just foolish pride.
It is said when word reached the Doge of the declaration he laughed, thinking that Hungary had pressed its limits this time. Venice called on its many allies, all of whom answered the call. Soon Hungary found itself surrounded as Bavaria, Lithuania, Ragusa and even Bohemia itself joined Venice in war against the Empire of the Double Cross.
Royal marriages were broken and Hungarian princesses locked away in respective countries. Bohemia itself was taken control of by a power hungry coalition of nobles in the Snem, led by Duke Pavel Kladishko.
The war itself was one of chaos for Hungary. Citizens, previously believing themselves safe from the trials of war fled their homes, as Hungary was invaded and attacked from all sides. It is commonly believed that the first true warfare began on July 24th. But it was not a single battle that occured, but three.
In the north Bavaria, sent thousands of Knights over the border into Tirol. Farther south, Ragusa invaded Dalmatia, employing a brand of firearms themselves. Lastly, the Venitians, confident in their superiority of the sea landed a massive army of over fifteen thousand troops on the shore of greek Smyrna to the shock of the local force.
The military of the Empire of Hungary however did not sit and wait for itself to be attacked, but was already on the march to cripple its enemies when news of the invasions reached the King and his advisors. The Hadsereg bol Magyarorszag commanded by a promising young general, baron Harsemund engaged in combat with the armies of Venice directly outside the city itself, ready to make use of the new gunpowder weapons.
On August 1st, the castles of Carpathia were put under seige from the rebellious bohemians. With no army to defend the region, worries that this war could not be won began to come from the lips of the nobles. This was only further heightened when word was recieved that the Ragusans had utterly destroyed the Hungarian forces in Dalmatia.
Good news halted these worries briefly when on the seventh of august the Hungarian army won the battle of Tyrol, destroying a vast portion of Bavaria's outdated military. Elsewhere in the country the army stationed in Presburg clashed with another army of Bohemian scum.
By the 11th the Bohemian army in Presburg was humbled and sent fleeing back towards Moravia. On this same day the battle outside Venice ended with an astounding victory for Hungary. Troops soon set up around the city and brought in the heavy seige weapons, knowing that if Venice fell it would give them a key bargining chip in the peace process.
The following day more blood was shed as Lithuania, a country that the King believed was on good terms with his own made its first moves of the war. Two armies stormed into Bujak and Moldavia, raping and pillaging as they went. At the same time however the 12th was a day of celebration. The mighty army Venice landed in Smyrna was soundly defeated and forced back into the sea, securing the southern lands from invasion.
The war continued to rage throughout the Empire of Hungary and while many battles were won, aside from the victory outside the walls of venice, this war was one of defense, the military advisors all knew that if things did not soon change, all hope would be lost.
By the 20th of August, the year of our lord 1500, Bohemia sent forces into Ostmarch, only to be destroyed utterly by the firepower of the defending german citizens of Hungary. In the east Lithuania claimed victory in Bujak, though it was far too costly and their army had not the numbers to seige the large territory. It is also at this time that the Translyvannian regiment comprised mostly of the Order of the Dragon engaged the Bohemian force in the Carpathian mountains outside a small monestary. The fearless knights of the order won victory after victory against the spineless Bohemians, slaughtering them by the thousands.
The tide of war seemed to be changing slightly, near the end of August Bavaria once more attempted to take Tirol, but past lessons were repeated as their army was butchered and forced to retreat after fighting the forces of Hungary for less than twenty four hours. Lithuania was also finally pushed out of Moldavia in a long and reportedly epic battle that centered around one of the northern fortresses of the cel Mare family.
However not every battle could be a victory, combining their forces Bavaria and Bohemia joined their armies together and stormed violently into Ostmarch with over ten thousand mounted knights and a compliment of infantry about the same. The defenders of Ostmarch fought well, but in the end even their new gunpower weapons could not save them. Fire and destruction ripped through the province as enemy soldiers settled in for a seige. On the 24th of september, a small group of Hungarian knights from the Order of St. Stephen attempted to force the invaders out, but their proved to be too many of them. On the 10th of October, the knights were routed, returning to Presburg to regroup.
Upon their return to Presburg, the Knights spirits were raised. Despite their defeat and the loss of many brothers in arms, they learned that victory had been claimed in Venice, the city now in the hands of Hungary. Furthermore Mantua was now under seige as well.
Tales say that much of the great beauty of Venice was forever lost that october as vengeful magyars, croatians, and germans destroyed anything that was nailed down and looted what was not.
In the middle of November, the allies of Venice attempted to turn the tide of battle once again. Lithuania, on orders from its King, mustered a mighty army and marched into Moldavia, intent on capturing the region. At around the same time Venice once more sought to capture the coasts of Smyrna, insolently landing thousands of troops.
"When it comes to the pinch, human beings are heroic." -- George Orwell
In both cases the outcomes were the same as before. Lithuania's army was defeated in Moldavia, only to return in the harsh winter of december and be routed once more. In Smyrna the banner of Venice fell bloodied to the greek coast once again. The Venitians were completely annihilated, leaving thousands of corpses to rot on the shore.
Inspired by the victories when 1501 came around, several armies marched together to battle the Ragusans in Dalmatia, in hopes of lifting the cruel seige. Unlike their allies though, the army of Ragusa remained confident and strong. Gunpowder weapons met Gunpowder weapons, spraying death across the fields. It was the Serbian army of Hungary that broke in the end, fleeing back to the safety of Belograd castle where they might lick their wounds.
On the 24th of January, 1501 Mantua fell to the Hungarian army. In addition, Lithuania was once more repelled from Moldavia, humiliating them to no end. It is for that reason that the Lithuanian King sent everything into Moldavia on the 20th of February, winning a victory over the brave Moldavites. While Lithuania had won the battle on thier fifth attempt, it made little difference. For it was believed that despite all the odds, this war would go to the Empire of Hungary.
This mode of thought was further strengthened when on April 18th, after ten days of fighting the army of Hungary defeated the Ragusan military in their province of Romagna. On the 17th the serbians, strengthened by a corp of Albanian mercenaries, once again attempted to break the seige of Dalmatia. While the battle went down to the wire and thousands upon thousands died upon the plains, in the end the seige was broken on the 5th of may.
Three days latter the Doge of Venice offered the Hungarian Emperor a peace to end the war. Mantua province, 120 bars of gold and allowing the Hungarian merchants to once more trade within the city. Urged by Chancellor and Cardinal Bakocz, ULaszlo II accepted the terms of peace. The war had ended in victory. ULaszlo II used that victory to strengthen his power, but he treaded on thin ground. Ten of thousands upon thousands of Hungarians had lost their lives in the war. In addition, Bohemia still denied the monarch his rightful place, remaining under the control of the ambitious Duke Kladishko.
As the armies marched home, many were glad to see rebels up in arms against the government of Ragusa in Romagna, though it is unfortunate that they failed.
Despite the victory, the Empire of Hungary suffered a great defeat that it did not even realize until far later. Some time during the seige of Dalmatia, the mysterious monk known as Edgar of Foor had fallen into the hands of a group of Ragusan soldiers. A spoil of war that would change the course of history.
Well done on surviving and winning a war as tough as that one! I think that's the best part of the game, when you are attacked from several directions and can just barely drive them off.
So is Edgar going to defect to another nation?
So is Edgar going to defect to another nation?
Chapter VI: Crusade and Heresy.
"In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us. "
-- Thich Nhat Hanh
"Let my enemies devour each other."
-- Salvador Dali
After the end of the trade war as it came to be known, the Empire of Hungary went through a short period of peace and reconstruction. Much of the countryside had been ravaged by the fighting and the army itself needed to be rebuilt.
Fortunately the lords of Hungary were gladdened to see that the realm was doing better than that of its enemies. In 1502 knowledge reached the Empire that the realm of the Mameluk's had fallen into anarchy. While there were no immediate plans to take advantage of this situation, the weakness of the nations of Islam was geneally welcomed within the Crusade oriented state.
Even more warming news reached the Magnates in the october of 1503. MeiBen, one of the few germanic nations that Hungary remained on good terms with declared war on Venice. While the cause of the war is not truly known, the lords of MeiBen were granted a small token of the Emperors favor. MeiBen and its allies, Saxony, Magdeburg and Poland soon went into open conflict against Bohemia, Bavaria, Ragusa, and Lithuania. Ragusa was of course protected for the most part being trapped within the borders of the Hungarian Empire.
At the end of 1503, Emperor ULaszlo II began to search for more powerful allies in the west. With that in mind he approached the Aragonese King Ferran the II of Malta with idea's of marrying off his eldest daughter. While he and his Lithuanian wife had become estranged, the Emperor wisely kept care of his heirs.
On Christmas eve the two were married in the grand cathedral of Malta, within the Aragonese Kings palace itself. While this marriage did have some short term advantages, such as the exchange of maps between the two countries, it ultimately fizzles when the following Christmas the King of Spain (formerly castile) forced Ferran to take a knee before him and become a vassal state. It took much convincing, but the new Pope Julius II agreed to annul the marriage, if Hungary promised to support him in future efforts. Cardinal Bakocz, now holding more and more power over the policy of the Empire willingly agreed, sharing many opinions with Julius II who also hated Venice and the turks.
Also in 1504 the Bishopric of Wurzburg joined its german brothers in war against Venice. This act then triggered Pommern to side with the Venitians, further escalating the war.
Content with watching the affairs of its neighbors and enemies, Hungary continued to focus inwards. New laws were ratified in which those who practiced the Orthodox religion were given equal rights to their catholic brothers. Many praised this as continuing the legacy of Emperor Corvinus, as Greeks, both Catholic and Orthodox alike were finally made truly active members of the Empire of the Double Cross. A symbol that now held new meaning.
In the south, Dulkor was annexed by the ever growing power of Ak-Koyunlu. With the decline of Ottoman power, it seemed as if the White Sheep had taken the prominant role in Islamic expansion. Many feared this growing menace and troops were sent to Asia minor to quell any unrest that might have begun.
By the year of 1507 the curs in Venice once more decided that they had more to benefit from denying Hungarian merchants access to the vital port. The gates of the city were closed to all who moved in support of Hungary. While many considered going to war with Venice once again, ultimately it was decided that the cost outweighed any gains to be made.
With hopes of further linking the two Empires, Byzantium and Hungary, ULaszlo II's now available daughter was wed to the new Emperor of the east, Manuel III. A series of great works of art were sent to the Byzantine Emperor, in hopes that he would look past the previous marriage of the lovely Anna.
"When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing more to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader." -- Plato
Shortly after the marriage, which occured in April of 1508 a new oppurtunity presented itself to the two empires. In september, the muslims of Candar found themselves expelled from their alliance. Without allies, Candar seemed the perfect choice for an enemy with which to persecute a new war. Gaining the blessing of the Pope and the Patriarch, war was declared against Candar on september 25th, 1508.
Both allies (Helvetia and Byzantium) agree to support this war, though in truth only the Byzantine Empire really contributed. Helvetia was not even truly an ally, but rather a little brother to be watched over. The war was a quick and easy one. With only one true consequence.
As combined forces of Hungary and Byzantium crushed the royal army of Candar in Kastamonu, the Ottomans under Bayezid II decided they had had enough and broke their vassalage to the Emperor Manuel III. Several magnates called for an immediate declaration of war against the Ottomans, but ultimately it was decided that the Byzantine Empire should make the policy in handling this matter. For the moment it seemed Manuel II was content to let the Ottoman Turks govern themselves, no longer truly fearing them.
On January 21st of 1509 the forces of the two empires stormed into the gates of Candars palace. The leaders of the country were brutally executed by the over zealous soldiers, leaving the throne room covered in the blood of royals. The nation of Candar ceased to exist and Kastamonu was annexed into the Empire of Hungary. This did present the problem of once more having a large Islamic population within Hungary, but inquisitors were sent out to rectify the issue in their own delightful way.
March 1511 saw an argricultural revolution of sorts among the peasants of Moldavia and Banat. While this was welcomed at the time, it served to somehow incite the peasants of Moldavia to revolt in the april of the following year. The peasants stormed the local garrison with improvised weapons and a few smuggled arquebuses and killed the defending troops. Janos Szapolyai (also known as John Zapolya), a powerful landowner and Vajda of Translyvannia ruthlessly crushed this rebellion by december. He went to lengths many considered barbaric, executing not only the rebel peasants, but much of their families. A message had been sent. When the agricultural revolution reached Angora and Pest, no rebellion occured. Furthermore, the advances allowed new lands to be cleared in Pest and a grand Cathedral was soon constructed.
By the end of 1513 a new Pope rose to power within Rome. This time it was a Florentine from the powerful Medici family. He took the title as Leo X. As 1514 rolled around, Leo began preaching of a new Crusade against the forces of Islam. Much of his attention was focused on Hungary and after the success in the Candar war, many were willing to forget the times of peace and go off to Holy war once more. Pope Leo X charged Thomas Bakocz as Primate of Hungary and urged him to crusade against the forces of Islam.
In 1514 Janos, with ambitions one day holding the crown, declared that he would use his services in the future as a commander of the armies of the Empire. It was his hope that glory in such campaigns would give him weight should the diet call the golden bull to elect a new Emperor in the future. Not wanting to be outdone, Chancellor Bakocz appointed Miklos Zrinyi, of one of the more powerful Croatian noble families as Lt. General of the Hungarian Armies.
It became clear that war was on the Horizon.
A plea for help.
"I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war. -- Georges Clemenceau.
In the winter of 1514 the palace of Hungary recieved the just cause they were looking for. A letter from the Armenian Count of Edessa a few days before Christmas pleading with the Emperor to free the states of Armenia and Trabzon from the muslim rule of the White sheep. This letter was excuse enough for the aging Chancellor, already smitten with the idea of Crusade to call for war against the Sultan Murad of Ak-Koyunlu.
On March 1st the declaration was made, bringing the two Empires into the war. Ak-Koyunlu was not without allies of its own. The Mongols of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate both showed support for the White sheep, gathering their forces for the war.
Unwilling to wait for commanders in the north to arrive, Colonel Gustai took control of the army of Konya and marched towards Trabzon with thoughts of liberation. In april the small nation of Sibir allies itself with the white sheep and declares war. This factor is ignored however by news of battles both in Trabzon and in Sivas. Apparently having grown impatient an army of Knights stationed in Angora marched into Sivas and ruthlessly put down its pitiful militia. By June both Trabzon and Sivas provinces are under seige by the Hungarians.
On June 27th the first true battle of the war occured in the midst of the seige of one of the fortresses of Sivas. Hoping to catch the Knights off guard, the horsemen of the golden horde pour down across the plains. The mongols were soon greeted by a most unpleasant surprise. Having never faced the Arquabus, the brave horsemen found themselves quickly mowed down by the fire of the trained Hungarian and greek soldiers.
The horde was not detered however and soon adapted. Rather than charge in with horses, 11,000 Mongols attacked the Angoran army in Sivas while at the same time to the south 16,000 Kurds of Ak-Koyunlu stormed the Byzantine army of Alexandretta.
Tactics that had served the Mongols under their great Khan of ages past so well, proved outdated and ineffective against the forces of Hungary. In the end the Horde was repelled, leaving thousands of their number dead upon the fields of Sivas. Word is recieved that the army of Alexandretta managed to hold as well, despite the frightening number of the infidel enemy.
As summer waned, Janos Szapolyai arrived in Konya. Gathering some waiting troops in the region he embarks with his army to aid in the capture of Sivas, though by the time he arrived the Byzantines had already re-enforced the region with their own troops. Also on september 7th, Lt. General Miklos Zrinyi arrived in Angora. He does not spend long there, merely having breakfast with the local governor, before marching to Trabzon to resupply colonel Gustai and the seige army.
By this time many in the capital were beginning to worry at the shrinking of the royal treasury, but the winter returns prove to be exceptional, putting aside such worries for the time being.
In January Sibir mustered a small force which it launched against the armies stationed in Sivas. This army was one of rags and rusty swords and was easily repelled by the trained Byzantine and Hungarian militarys. Shortly after the victory, Janos grew impatient and ordered an assault on the remaining fortresses. His impulsiveness proved to be advantageous, as the region fell by February.
These victories seemed to stir up some of the Sultan Murads less content peoples to rebel and soon Aleppo flared into open revolt, forcing the Ak-Konyulu armies into battle with another enemy.
In march of 1516, with the war still ongoing, ULaszlo II passes away, leaving his only son, Lajos or Louis II, as Heir to the Empire. It is around this same time that the Byzantine Empire also passes to a new ruler, Andreas II.
Even as Hungary fought its enemies in the south, its other enemies moved against it. In Ragusa, one monk, forgotten about for years was discovered in the prisons. It did not take long for the ruler of Ragusa to see the worth in the strange monk and sold him to the vicious del Rio Visconte family of Venice. A family that had long hated the monk and Hungary.
Under the cruel tortures of the del Rio Visconte family, the android Edgar of Foor had much of his secrets revealed. Frustrated by his unresponsiveness to their vile applications, the family, said to dabble in necromancy, eventually began to peel away his flesh. What they discovered horrified them and it was not long before the poor monk, blinded in one eye, stripped of much of his flesh and made to suffer in various debase ways was burned alive. This however was not the end of Edgar of Foor, though he was forever changed by the experience.
"In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us. "
-- Thich Nhat Hanh
"Let my enemies devour each other."
-- Salvador Dali
After the end of the trade war as it came to be known, the Empire of Hungary went through a short period of peace and reconstruction. Much of the countryside had been ravaged by the fighting and the army itself needed to be rebuilt.
Fortunately the lords of Hungary were gladdened to see that the realm was doing better than that of its enemies. In 1502 knowledge reached the Empire that the realm of the Mameluk's had fallen into anarchy. While there were no immediate plans to take advantage of this situation, the weakness of the nations of Islam was geneally welcomed within the Crusade oriented state.
Even more warming news reached the Magnates in the october of 1503. MeiBen, one of the few germanic nations that Hungary remained on good terms with declared war on Venice. While the cause of the war is not truly known, the lords of MeiBen were granted a small token of the Emperors favor. MeiBen and its allies, Saxony, Magdeburg and Poland soon went into open conflict against Bohemia, Bavaria, Ragusa, and Lithuania. Ragusa was of course protected for the most part being trapped within the borders of the Hungarian Empire.
At the end of 1503, Emperor ULaszlo II began to search for more powerful allies in the west. With that in mind he approached the Aragonese King Ferran the II of Malta with idea's of marrying off his eldest daughter. While he and his Lithuanian wife had become estranged, the Emperor wisely kept care of his heirs.
On Christmas eve the two were married in the grand cathedral of Malta, within the Aragonese Kings palace itself. While this marriage did have some short term advantages, such as the exchange of maps between the two countries, it ultimately fizzles when the following Christmas the King of Spain (formerly castile) forced Ferran to take a knee before him and become a vassal state. It took much convincing, but the new Pope Julius II agreed to annul the marriage, if Hungary promised to support him in future efforts. Cardinal Bakocz, now holding more and more power over the policy of the Empire willingly agreed, sharing many opinions with Julius II who also hated Venice and the turks.
Also in 1504 the Bishopric of Wurzburg joined its german brothers in war against Venice. This act then triggered Pommern to side with the Venitians, further escalating the war.
Content with watching the affairs of its neighbors and enemies, Hungary continued to focus inwards. New laws were ratified in which those who practiced the Orthodox religion were given equal rights to their catholic brothers. Many praised this as continuing the legacy of Emperor Corvinus, as Greeks, both Catholic and Orthodox alike were finally made truly active members of the Empire of the Double Cross. A symbol that now held new meaning.
In the south, Dulkor was annexed by the ever growing power of Ak-Koyunlu. With the decline of Ottoman power, it seemed as if the White Sheep had taken the prominant role in Islamic expansion. Many feared this growing menace and troops were sent to Asia minor to quell any unrest that might have begun.
By the year of 1507 the curs in Venice once more decided that they had more to benefit from denying Hungarian merchants access to the vital port. The gates of the city were closed to all who moved in support of Hungary. While many considered going to war with Venice once again, ultimately it was decided that the cost outweighed any gains to be made.
With hopes of further linking the two Empires, Byzantium and Hungary, ULaszlo II's now available daughter was wed to the new Emperor of the east, Manuel III. A series of great works of art were sent to the Byzantine Emperor, in hopes that he would look past the previous marriage of the lovely Anna.
"When the tyrant has disposed of foreign enemies by conquest or treaty, and there is nothing more to fear from them, then he is always stirring up some war or other, in order that the people may require a leader." -- Plato
Shortly after the marriage, which occured in April of 1508 a new oppurtunity presented itself to the two empires. In september, the muslims of Candar found themselves expelled from their alliance. Without allies, Candar seemed the perfect choice for an enemy with which to persecute a new war. Gaining the blessing of the Pope and the Patriarch, war was declared against Candar on september 25th, 1508.
Both allies (Helvetia and Byzantium) agree to support this war, though in truth only the Byzantine Empire really contributed. Helvetia was not even truly an ally, but rather a little brother to be watched over. The war was a quick and easy one. With only one true consequence.
As combined forces of Hungary and Byzantium crushed the royal army of Candar in Kastamonu, the Ottomans under Bayezid II decided they had had enough and broke their vassalage to the Emperor Manuel III. Several magnates called for an immediate declaration of war against the Ottomans, but ultimately it was decided that the Byzantine Empire should make the policy in handling this matter. For the moment it seemed Manuel II was content to let the Ottoman Turks govern themselves, no longer truly fearing them.
On January 21st of 1509 the forces of the two empires stormed into the gates of Candars palace. The leaders of the country were brutally executed by the over zealous soldiers, leaving the throne room covered in the blood of royals. The nation of Candar ceased to exist and Kastamonu was annexed into the Empire of Hungary. This did present the problem of once more having a large Islamic population within Hungary, but inquisitors were sent out to rectify the issue in their own delightful way.
March 1511 saw an argricultural revolution of sorts among the peasants of Moldavia and Banat. While this was welcomed at the time, it served to somehow incite the peasants of Moldavia to revolt in the april of the following year. The peasants stormed the local garrison with improvised weapons and a few smuggled arquebuses and killed the defending troops. Janos Szapolyai (also known as John Zapolya), a powerful landowner and Vajda of Translyvannia ruthlessly crushed this rebellion by december. He went to lengths many considered barbaric, executing not only the rebel peasants, but much of their families. A message had been sent. When the agricultural revolution reached Angora and Pest, no rebellion occured. Furthermore, the advances allowed new lands to be cleared in Pest and a grand Cathedral was soon constructed.
By the end of 1513 a new Pope rose to power within Rome. This time it was a Florentine from the powerful Medici family. He took the title as Leo X. As 1514 rolled around, Leo began preaching of a new Crusade against the forces of Islam. Much of his attention was focused on Hungary and after the success in the Candar war, many were willing to forget the times of peace and go off to Holy war once more. Pope Leo X charged Thomas Bakocz as Primate of Hungary and urged him to crusade against the forces of Islam.
In 1514 Janos, with ambitions one day holding the crown, declared that he would use his services in the future as a commander of the armies of the Empire. It was his hope that glory in such campaigns would give him weight should the diet call the golden bull to elect a new Emperor in the future. Not wanting to be outdone, Chancellor Bakocz appointed Miklos Zrinyi, of one of the more powerful Croatian noble families as Lt. General of the Hungarian Armies.
It became clear that war was on the Horizon.
A plea for help.
"I don't know whether war is an interlude during peace, or peace an interlude during war. -- Georges Clemenceau.
In the winter of 1514 the palace of Hungary recieved the just cause they were looking for. A letter from the Armenian Count of Edessa a few days before Christmas pleading with the Emperor to free the states of Armenia and Trabzon from the muslim rule of the White sheep. This letter was excuse enough for the aging Chancellor, already smitten with the idea of Crusade to call for war against the Sultan Murad of Ak-Koyunlu.
On March 1st the declaration was made, bringing the two Empires into the war. Ak-Koyunlu was not without allies of its own. The Mongols of the Golden Horde and the Chagatai Khanate both showed support for the White sheep, gathering their forces for the war.
Unwilling to wait for commanders in the north to arrive, Colonel Gustai took control of the army of Konya and marched towards Trabzon with thoughts of liberation. In april the small nation of Sibir allies itself with the white sheep and declares war. This factor is ignored however by news of battles both in Trabzon and in Sivas. Apparently having grown impatient an army of Knights stationed in Angora marched into Sivas and ruthlessly put down its pitiful militia. By June both Trabzon and Sivas provinces are under seige by the Hungarians.
On June 27th the first true battle of the war occured in the midst of the seige of one of the fortresses of Sivas. Hoping to catch the Knights off guard, the horsemen of the golden horde pour down across the plains. The mongols were soon greeted by a most unpleasant surprise. Having never faced the Arquabus, the brave horsemen found themselves quickly mowed down by the fire of the trained Hungarian and greek soldiers.
The horde was not detered however and soon adapted. Rather than charge in with horses, 11,000 Mongols attacked the Angoran army in Sivas while at the same time to the south 16,000 Kurds of Ak-Koyunlu stormed the Byzantine army of Alexandretta.
Tactics that had served the Mongols under their great Khan of ages past so well, proved outdated and ineffective against the forces of Hungary. In the end the Horde was repelled, leaving thousands of their number dead upon the fields of Sivas. Word is recieved that the army of Alexandretta managed to hold as well, despite the frightening number of the infidel enemy.
As summer waned, Janos Szapolyai arrived in Konya. Gathering some waiting troops in the region he embarks with his army to aid in the capture of Sivas, though by the time he arrived the Byzantines had already re-enforced the region with their own troops. Also on september 7th, Lt. General Miklos Zrinyi arrived in Angora. He does not spend long there, merely having breakfast with the local governor, before marching to Trabzon to resupply colonel Gustai and the seige army.
By this time many in the capital were beginning to worry at the shrinking of the royal treasury, but the winter returns prove to be exceptional, putting aside such worries for the time being.
In January Sibir mustered a small force which it launched against the armies stationed in Sivas. This army was one of rags and rusty swords and was easily repelled by the trained Byzantine and Hungarian militarys. Shortly after the victory, Janos grew impatient and ordered an assault on the remaining fortresses. His impulsiveness proved to be advantageous, as the region fell by February.
These victories seemed to stir up some of the Sultan Murads less content peoples to rebel and soon Aleppo flared into open revolt, forcing the Ak-Konyulu armies into battle with another enemy.
In march of 1516, with the war still ongoing, ULaszlo II passes away, leaving his only son, Lajos or Louis II, as Heir to the Empire. It is around this same time that the Byzantine Empire also passes to a new ruler, Andreas II.
Even as Hungary fought its enemies in the south, its other enemies moved against it. In Ragusa, one monk, forgotten about for years was discovered in the prisons. It did not take long for the ruler of Ragusa to see the worth in the strange monk and sold him to the vicious del Rio Visconte family of Venice. A family that had long hated the monk and Hungary.
Under the cruel tortures of the del Rio Visconte family, the android Edgar of Foor had much of his secrets revealed. Frustrated by his unresponsiveness to their vile applications, the family, said to dabble in necromancy, eventually began to peel away his flesh. What they discovered horrified them and it was not long before the poor monk, blinded in one eye, stripped of much of his flesh and made to suffer in various debase ways was burned alive. This however was not the end of Edgar of Foor, though he was forever changed by the experience.
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It's amazing how the events of two games coincide. The wars with Ak Koyunlu happened at almost the same time in your AAR as in mine. Although in mine, Byzantium is not terribly friendly with Hungary (nor many others, for that matter). Let the reconquest begin!
"To suggest that war can prevent war is a base play on words and a despicable form of warmongering. The objective of any who sincerely believe in peace clearly must be to exhaust every honorable recourse in the effort to save the peace. The world has had ample evidence that war begets only conditions that beget further war."
"The principle of an eye for an eye will some day make the whole world blind."
-- Ghandi
The april of 1516 saw the forces of the Chagatai Khanate trying their luck at the bloody fields of Sivas. But like their allies they were easily repulsed. News soon reached defenders that Lt. General Miklos had succeeded in capturing Trebizond from the moslem heathens. Detaching a small regiment from his overall force, Miklos moves to Armenia to answer the call of the count of Edessa.
The armies that had been stationed in Armenia long gone to fight this war, Miklos Zrinyi is confronted with only the local Ak-Konyulu stronghold and its garrison. Wasting no time the croatian general orders a full scale assault. The resulting battle proved to be exceptionally bloody, but within twenty days the forces of Islam were extinguished from Edessa and the whole of Armenia.
Following this victory a peace was soon signed which was overseen by both the Croatian general and the Vadja of Translyvannia, along with a Byzantine noble who was reportedly the second cousin to the Emperor. The peace of Edessa forced Ak-Konyulu to relinquish its claims on both Trabizond and Armenia. It also gave the Empire of Hungary control of Sivas. A mere fifty bars of gold were also paid. So as to not make the Byzantine Empire bitter, the Emperor of Hungary was advised by Thomas Bakocz, one of the Cardinals last actions before retiring, to grant the ancient empire a gift as a show of thanks. An additional 127 bars of gold were given to the Byzantine Empire, as well as a beautiful royal carriage designed in Tyrol. This seemed to please Emperor Andreas II.
Aside from the heathen states with who the war was fought, perhaps the only people who were not pleased were the people of Armenia and the Count of Edessa. It is believed that the Count had fully been convinced that Armenia would be made a state in itself, with at least as much independance as the Swiss Helvetia. This however did not happen. King Louis the II and the nobles of Hungary believed that the gold mines of Armenia were a reward for the liberation of the beseiged christian states and had no intention of giving them up. This did however raise concerns as many were concerned with sharing a border with the 'savage' Russians in Georgia.
With the retirement of Cardinal Bakocz, a new prime minister was selected. One party, that favoring the southern expansion of Hungary and a hard line towards Islam, was favored in the selection process.
A love of Aragon
"Bachelors have consciences, married men have wives." - Samuel Johnson
Other issues of the state were also attended to during this period. Louis II was fascinated with the culture of Aragon. Few understood where this love of the Aragonese had come from, but it soon resulted in his marriage to the daughter of Emric I. The Ceremony was held in the royal palace in Malta on the first day of 1517. So taken with his young bride, Zilia, the King had a winter palace constructed on the Greek coast to please her.
It was also during this time that the Kingdom of Spain, for some obscure agreement, decided to give Tripoli over to the Knights of St. John.
Louis, though Emperor, was easily influenced not only by his new wife, but by the powerful lords of Hungary. After much debate, it was decided that further rights would be given to serfs. This did not however weaken the strength of the aristocracy as Armenians and Greeks alike were bequethed titles and lands in april of 1517. This did not however prevent the bloodshed that would spring to life in October of the same year.
It seemed that the count of Edessa continued to complain and be generally ungreatful. This aggitated the Catholic soldiers under the command of Janos Zapolyai, who were apparently angered at the Orthodox armenians. The incident reportedly was the result of a group of soldiers stumbling into an Orthodox church, expecting to hear the Latin prayers. What came after was a brutal conversion of the Armenian people by the sword. Nearly two thousand Armenians were killed in what many said was the will of god, despite the fact that the Orthodox religion was widely tolerated in the Empire. Yet in spite of the loss of life, the conversions were successful, giving some validation to the Translyvannian lord as Catholism now reigned in the gold rich province.
Elsewhere inquisitions that were perhaps more important failed. After years of trying the infidels in Kastamonu failed to see the light in following the path of the lord Jesus Christ, instead clinging to forbidden Islamic practices.
By the summer of 1520 the royal treasury had once more reached over 1,000,000 ducats or 1,000 gold bars. Confident that the economy of the Empire was once more on the upswing, research and other excess recieved more funding.
On January 2nd, 1521 Austria decides to submit to the Spanish branch of Habsburgs, becoming a vassal to the former Castile. Mixed opinions on this matter caused much debate throughout the higher ranks of Hungarian society. It is also around this time that the Prime minister died of fever and a new one was appointed. This time however, Louis II selected his own candidate, who just happened to be his brother-in-law.
While this may have caused issue, other occurances distracted attention from the appointment. Luther's Protestant reformation had finally reached the borders of the Empire of the Double cross. While Orthodoxy was commonly accepted, it seemed that this new Heresy would not be shown the same tolerance.
Within the Empire, only in the regions of Banat and Translyvannia did the teachings of Luther seem to take any significant hold. To deal with this infection before it got any worse the prized Inquisitor Antalus Miszschuzual was sent to Banat with full royal support, in addition to backing from the Orders of St. Stephen and the Dragon.
In July, Louis II and his wife went to the Coronation of Alfons VI to the throne of Aragon. Many hoped that Aragon would cast off the yoke of spain and it was much whispered about in the ceremony. It was during this affair that a retired Portugese general offered his services to the Emperor. Partially convinced by the mans knowledge and partially by his wife, Louis II decided to retain him as a military advisor. Louis had plans for a new war that he did not even begin to discuss with the Magnates.
The failures of Suleyman.
"Why of course the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ..Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." -- H. Goering
By 1523 many within Hungary began to become worried with the rise of the new Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman I. Known to his people as the Law-giver they looked to him as a hope for renewed Ottoman greatness. This innovative and ambitious Sultan was clearly a danger to the region, having already armed the Ottoman military with firearms of their own design. And so, despite having any true cause for war, the Empire of Hungary issues a declaration on February 21st, obviously fearful of an Ottoman reemergence.
It is a testiment to the skills of Suleyman that he is the first to strike. Leading his army into greek Smyrna he meets the greek army on the banks of a small river. While the defenders of Smyrna fight valiantly, they are outnumbered and no longer hold the technological edge. Outnumbered and out commanded, they fall. Meanwhile, Miklos Zrinyi takes advantage of the Sultans absense to put Anatolia under seige.
Eager to test his mettle against the Croatian general, Suleyman turns his army around to lift the seige of his capital by may. Overconfident, Miklos Zrinyi does not commit the whole of his forces against the Sultans advance and as a result he is beaten and forced to retreat south. The two victories begin to inspire the turks once more, reminding them of their old glory.
In september, news reaches the croatian general that the christian rebels of Jordan had taken control of the region and defected to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Taking this as a sign from the almighty, Miklos marshals his men once more and strikes at Anatolia. Following on the heels of Miklos, Janos Szapolyai also leads his own force to face the Ottoman leader.
The reality of Suleymans military genius carries the day however. The guns of his men and his inspired tactics humiliate Miklos once more and Janos fares no better. It is in fact a young Albanian cavalry commander who carries the day. Having heard of the defeat of Miklos, he gathered a large force of Cavalry in Konya, taking converted turks and greeks alike under his command. He then reached the battle but a day after Janos was forced into retreat. It seemed that this was just too much for the Ottoman force. The Cavalry washed over Suleymans Janissaries and the sultan himself was believed to have been trampled to death. The young Cavalry officers fame however was short lived as the jealous Miklos soon arrived after to take command of the following seige.
On December 1st, Bohemia, long a troublesome state announced to the international community that it has fully embraced the edicts of Luther. In response to this the Aristocracy of Hungary, remembering that Bohemia was supposed to be part of the crown made several demands. Unwilling to fight against them, Louis II was bullied into giving more power to the nobles. Around this time an italian enginneer offered his services to the court. He was treated in the same way Italians had been treated in the past and sent on his way with warnings not to return.
The magnates soon begin new relations with Poland, making several deals and minor alliances. This however was overshadowed by the total disintigration of the Ottoman Empire of June 25th, 1524. The addition of the province of Anatolia to the Hungarian Empire leads Ak-Konyulu to press its claims on several boundries. Unwilling to give in to what was considered fabricated claims, the dispute is pressed with neither side giving in.
In the north the Heresy of Luther seemed to be taking a frightening change. Bohemia's embrace of Protestism was somewhat expected. Those that followed however were not. By may of 1526 Saxony, the Livonian Order, Magdeburg and Pommern also announced that they would be Protestant states. Things would only get worse in the following months when Louis II in a need to escape the pressures of the court decided to go out hunting..
"The principle of an eye for an eye will some day make the whole world blind."
-- Ghandi
The april of 1516 saw the forces of the Chagatai Khanate trying their luck at the bloody fields of Sivas. But like their allies they were easily repulsed. News soon reached defenders that Lt. General Miklos had succeeded in capturing Trebizond from the moslem heathens. Detaching a small regiment from his overall force, Miklos moves to Armenia to answer the call of the count of Edessa.
The armies that had been stationed in Armenia long gone to fight this war, Miklos Zrinyi is confronted with only the local Ak-Konyulu stronghold and its garrison. Wasting no time the croatian general orders a full scale assault. The resulting battle proved to be exceptionally bloody, but within twenty days the forces of Islam were extinguished from Edessa and the whole of Armenia.
Following this victory a peace was soon signed which was overseen by both the Croatian general and the Vadja of Translyvannia, along with a Byzantine noble who was reportedly the second cousin to the Emperor. The peace of Edessa forced Ak-Konyulu to relinquish its claims on both Trabizond and Armenia. It also gave the Empire of Hungary control of Sivas. A mere fifty bars of gold were also paid. So as to not make the Byzantine Empire bitter, the Emperor of Hungary was advised by Thomas Bakocz, one of the Cardinals last actions before retiring, to grant the ancient empire a gift as a show of thanks. An additional 127 bars of gold were given to the Byzantine Empire, as well as a beautiful royal carriage designed in Tyrol. This seemed to please Emperor Andreas II.
Aside from the heathen states with who the war was fought, perhaps the only people who were not pleased were the people of Armenia and the Count of Edessa. It is believed that the Count had fully been convinced that Armenia would be made a state in itself, with at least as much independance as the Swiss Helvetia. This however did not happen. King Louis the II and the nobles of Hungary believed that the gold mines of Armenia were a reward for the liberation of the beseiged christian states and had no intention of giving them up. This did however raise concerns as many were concerned with sharing a border with the 'savage' Russians in Georgia.
With the retirement of Cardinal Bakocz, a new prime minister was selected. One party, that favoring the southern expansion of Hungary and a hard line towards Islam, was favored in the selection process.
A love of Aragon
"Bachelors have consciences, married men have wives." - Samuel Johnson
Other issues of the state were also attended to during this period. Louis II was fascinated with the culture of Aragon. Few understood where this love of the Aragonese had come from, but it soon resulted in his marriage to the daughter of Emric I. The Ceremony was held in the royal palace in Malta on the first day of 1517. So taken with his young bride, Zilia, the King had a winter palace constructed on the Greek coast to please her.
It was also during this time that the Kingdom of Spain, for some obscure agreement, decided to give Tripoli over to the Knights of St. John.
Louis, though Emperor, was easily influenced not only by his new wife, but by the powerful lords of Hungary. After much debate, it was decided that further rights would be given to serfs. This did not however weaken the strength of the aristocracy as Armenians and Greeks alike were bequethed titles and lands in april of 1517. This did not however prevent the bloodshed that would spring to life in October of the same year.
It seemed that the count of Edessa continued to complain and be generally ungreatful. This aggitated the Catholic soldiers under the command of Janos Zapolyai, who were apparently angered at the Orthodox armenians. The incident reportedly was the result of a group of soldiers stumbling into an Orthodox church, expecting to hear the Latin prayers. What came after was a brutal conversion of the Armenian people by the sword. Nearly two thousand Armenians were killed in what many said was the will of god, despite the fact that the Orthodox religion was widely tolerated in the Empire. Yet in spite of the loss of life, the conversions were successful, giving some validation to the Translyvannian lord as Catholism now reigned in the gold rich province.
Elsewhere inquisitions that were perhaps more important failed. After years of trying the infidels in Kastamonu failed to see the light in following the path of the lord Jesus Christ, instead clinging to forbidden Islamic practices.
By the summer of 1520 the royal treasury had once more reached over 1,000,000 ducats or 1,000 gold bars. Confident that the economy of the Empire was once more on the upswing, research and other excess recieved more funding.
On January 2nd, 1521 Austria decides to submit to the Spanish branch of Habsburgs, becoming a vassal to the former Castile. Mixed opinions on this matter caused much debate throughout the higher ranks of Hungarian society. It is also around this time that the Prime minister died of fever and a new one was appointed. This time however, Louis II selected his own candidate, who just happened to be his brother-in-law.
While this may have caused issue, other occurances distracted attention from the appointment. Luther's Protestant reformation had finally reached the borders of the Empire of the Double cross. While Orthodoxy was commonly accepted, it seemed that this new Heresy would not be shown the same tolerance.
Within the Empire, only in the regions of Banat and Translyvannia did the teachings of Luther seem to take any significant hold. To deal with this infection before it got any worse the prized Inquisitor Antalus Miszschuzual was sent to Banat with full royal support, in addition to backing from the Orders of St. Stephen and the Dragon.
In July, Louis II and his wife went to the Coronation of Alfons VI to the throne of Aragon. Many hoped that Aragon would cast off the yoke of spain and it was much whispered about in the ceremony. It was during this affair that a retired Portugese general offered his services to the Emperor. Partially convinced by the mans knowledge and partially by his wife, Louis II decided to retain him as a military advisor. Louis had plans for a new war that he did not even begin to discuss with the Magnates.
The failures of Suleyman.
"Why of course the people don't want war ... But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship ..Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger." -- H. Goering
By 1523 many within Hungary began to become worried with the rise of the new Ottoman Sultan, Suleyman I. Known to his people as the Law-giver they looked to him as a hope for renewed Ottoman greatness. This innovative and ambitious Sultan was clearly a danger to the region, having already armed the Ottoman military with firearms of their own design. And so, despite having any true cause for war, the Empire of Hungary issues a declaration on February 21st, obviously fearful of an Ottoman reemergence.
It is a testiment to the skills of Suleyman that he is the first to strike. Leading his army into greek Smyrna he meets the greek army on the banks of a small river. While the defenders of Smyrna fight valiantly, they are outnumbered and no longer hold the technological edge. Outnumbered and out commanded, they fall. Meanwhile, Miklos Zrinyi takes advantage of the Sultans absense to put Anatolia under seige.
Eager to test his mettle against the Croatian general, Suleyman turns his army around to lift the seige of his capital by may. Overconfident, Miklos Zrinyi does not commit the whole of his forces against the Sultans advance and as a result he is beaten and forced to retreat south. The two victories begin to inspire the turks once more, reminding them of their old glory.
In september, news reaches the croatian general that the christian rebels of Jordan had taken control of the region and defected to the Kingdom of Jerusalem. Taking this as a sign from the almighty, Miklos marshals his men once more and strikes at Anatolia. Following on the heels of Miklos, Janos Szapolyai also leads his own force to face the Ottoman leader.
The reality of Suleymans military genius carries the day however. The guns of his men and his inspired tactics humiliate Miklos once more and Janos fares no better. It is in fact a young Albanian cavalry commander who carries the day. Having heard of the defeat of Miklos, he gathered a large force of Cavalry in Konya, taking converted turks and greeks alike under his command. He then reached the battle but a day after Janos was forced into retreat. It seemed that this was just too much for the Ottoman force. The Cavalry washed over Suleymans Janissaries and the sultan himself was believed to have been trampled to death. The young Cavalry officers fame however was short lived as the jealous Miklos soon arrived after to take command of the following seige.
On December 1st, Bohemia, long a troublesome state announced to the international community that it has fully embraced the edicts of Luther. In response to this the Aristocracy of Hungary, remembering that Bohemia was supposed to be part of the crown made several demands. Unwilling to fight against them, Louis II was bullied into giving more power to the nobles. Around this time an italian enginneer offered his services to the court. He was treated in the same way Italians had been treated in the past and sent on his way with warnings not to return.
The magnates soon begin new relations with Poland, making several deals and minor alliances. This however was overshadowed by the total disintigration of the Ottoman Empire of June 25th, 1524. The addition of the province of Anatolia to the Hungarian Empire leads Ak-Konyulu to press its claims on several boundries. Unwilling to give in to what was considered fabricated claims, the dispute is pressed with neither side giving in.
In the north the Heresy of Luther seemed to be taking a frightening change. Bohemia's embrace of Protestism was somewhat expected. Those that followed however were not. By may of 1526 Saxony, the Livonian Order, Magdeburg and Pommern also announced that they would be Protestant states. Things would only get worse in the following months when Louis II in a need to escape the pressures of the court decided to go out hunting..
Great update again!
In the name Miklos Zrinyi: Zrinyi is his family name and Miklos is the hungarian version of Nicholas. I told it because you called him "Lt General Miklos" And please do not call him "croatian General", well some croatians may argue with me though
The same with: Pal Kinizsi. Family name: Kinizsi. Pal is the hungarian for Paul.
In the name Miklos Zrinyi: Zrinyi is his family name and Miklos is the hungarian version of Nicholas. I told it because you called him "Lt General Miklos" And please do not call him "croatian General", well some croatians may argue with me though
The same with: Pal Kinizsi. Family name: Kinizsi. Pal is the hungarian for Paul.
Pretty good run so far! I find at times like that it's best to prepare for a civil war. Never fails, everytime I get comfortable with a large land empire I get hit with the civil war event. Perhaps you'll get lucky. Go and beat on the Venetians some more! Do they still have their island? Thanks for the great story.
Just a quick note to say I am really enjoying your story and looking forward to more. And what on Earth is happening to Edgar? I wonder what will happen when you get to the historical end of Hungary with the "death of King Lajos" events. Keep us posted!
Thanks everyone for reading.
I really should have prepared for a civil war, because as many know, the death of King Lajos is right around the corner and that is probably just as bad as a Civil war.
As far as calling Miklos Zrinyi "A croatian general" I only did so because in the sources I used for some research it said that the Zrinyi's were a Hungarian noble family of Croatian origin. Also both him and his grandson were made governors of Croatia. But make no mistake he is a noble of Hungary and serves the Crown of the double cross. ( though historically it seems he was involved with supporting habsburg rule, that may need to be altered due to the way I played the game) While the great white shark had not reared its villainous head, Austria does keep seeming to overcome its set backs with inheritances.
Venice still holds control of Corfu and Ionia unfortunately. The Hungarian Navy is rather sad and venice always seems to have a strong force on the islands.
I am happy to say that we are quickly reaching the point up to what I have played and that a map will be coming probably within an update or two. That will perhaps give a better visual of the situation.
I really should have prepared for a civil war, because as many know, the death of King Lajos is right around the corner and that is probably just as bad as a Civil war.
As far as calling Miklos Zrinyi "A croatian general" I only did so because in the sources I used for some research it said that the Zrinyi's were a Hungarian noble family of Croatian origin. Also both him and his grandson were made governors of Croatia. But make no mistake he is a noble of Hungary and serves the Crown of the double cross. ( though historically it seems he was involved with supporting habsburg rule, that may need to be altered due to the way I played the game) While the great white shark had not reared its villainous head, Austria does keep seeming to overcome its set backs with inheritances.
Venice still holds control of Corfu and Ionia unfortunately. The Hungarian Navy is rather sad and venice always seems to have a strong force on the islands.
I am happy to say that we are quickly reaching the point up to what I have played and that a map will be coming probably within an update or two. That will perhaps give a better visual of the situation.
Chapter VII: Death, War, and Rebellion.
"Death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Until the lions have their historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter." -- African proverb.
"It doesn't take a majority to make a rebellion; it takes only a few determined leaders and a sound cause."
-- H. L. Mencken
The August of 1526 brought new troubles to the young Empire of Hungary. In the midst of a new form of Heresy and with the religion of Islam still practiced in some of the more recently added provinces, Hungary needed a time of peace in which it could turn inwards and build. Instead it was given the death of a king without heirs. Louis II, having decided to go out hunting to calm his nerves unexpectedly fell from his horse while chasing a wild boar. His neck was broken and he died before anything could be done for him. While some were suspected of foul play, much of this talk was dismissed. The nation had bigger issues now. An emergency session was convened and the diet assembled the Golden Bull in order to discuss who might next rule the Empire. Some pointed to Louis's Aragonese-brother in law, but this was a small minority. Most felt that Aragon, a mere vassal of spain, should not have so much influence of the Empire of Hungary. In the end the true discussion came down between two candidates. Ferdinand of Hapsburg, who still claimed old inheritances to the crown of both Hungary and Bohemia, and the powerful translyvannian noble Janos (or john) Zapolya. In the end their truly was no choice for the Empire of the Double Cross.
The crown of Hungary and the empires interior states was passed to Janos Zapolya, who became John the I of Hungary. This action however was not without consequences. Spain, Austria and the Pope were all angered by the decisions of the diet, feeling the Ferdinand was more fit to rule. It did however please distant france and Poland.
Unwilling to allow his claim to the throne go uncontested, as well as seeing a chance to finally bring Hungary to its knees, Ferdinand declared war. With this declaration of war, Ferdinand reveals his wild card. Major rebellions break out throughout the land, as hidden supporters of the Austrians claim raise minor armies against the rightful Emperor. Dalmatia, Ruthenia, Trabizond, Bulgaria and Kastamanu rise up in rebellion. It is suspected that Kastamanu's muslims merely used this as an oppurtunity and cared little for austrian or transylvannian rulers.
Even as the rebellious Protestant Bohemia accepts the Hapsburg as its elected King, John I was quick to call on Byzantium and Helvetia for aid, knowing that to fail here would doom Hungary to Habsburg domination.
While the revolts in Dalmatia, ruthenia and trabizond were quickly pacified, Emperor John I organized the majority of the army under his command and marched on Austria.
John Zapolya is a competant and skilled general but he was no match for the Austrian, von Frundsberg. Despite being outnumbered the skillful general served his masters well and turns back the emperor of Hungary, forcing him into pitiable retreat. Thousands of hungarians lay dead outside Vienna and it is said that John I swore revenge of the Austrian General.
It seemed however that von Frundsberg pressed his luck, seeking to take control of Steiermark before he had recouped from his losses against the Emperor of Hungary. Having long opposed hapsburg domination the regulars of Steiermark rallied under the command of a minor noble known as Albrecht Wiezdon. Using the fierce december to their advantage, the loyal german regulars after fifteen days of pitched battle, manage to force the Austrian army into retreat. General von Frundsberg decided to flee to Ostmarch, hoping to capture that territory and turn his defeat into a victory. Unknown to him however was that Janos, still bitter about his last defeat, had used the time since their last encounter to rebuild his forces. On February 9th, 1527, in the midst of a truly harsh winter, John I forced a battle outside a small unnamed town laying beside the Traun ( a tributary of the Danube). Seventeen thousand hungarian soldiers formed up to face the nearly twenty two thousand soldiers and mercenaries of the Landsknechte, under the command of General Georg von Frundsberg.
Harquebus verse Harquesbus, Austrian verse Hungarian, and Emperor verse General, the battle could have gone either way. In the hilly terrain and with the winter snow, the cavarly of both armies were effectively useless. In the end it was the detirmination of the infantry that carried the day. On the fifteenth day of combat, with the battlefield covered with the frozen corpses of enemies and comrades alike, two brothers known only as Benedek and Marton, both corporals, organized a sudden charge of von Frundsbergs right. While Marton never made it to the enemy, his brother and much of the infantry did. Chaos errupted along the austrian line as Benedek and the rest of the Hungarian infantry brought the battle back into the realm of swords and savagery.
Picking up on the momentary weakness of the feared Landsknechte John I pressed the attack. Thousands more bullets raked the enemy lines, and while more than a few cut down Hungarians as well, one lucky bullet caught the austrian general in the hip, tossing him from his white steed and into the thick of battle. If you believe the tales, the corporal Benedek, having witnessed the general's fall, cut a swath of destruction through the massed ranks to deliver the killing blow to Georg von Frundsberg. Whether this claim holds any truth is unimportant. With their general dead, the mercenary army retreated, giving John I the victory and revenge he desired.
Elsewhere the war was having mixed results. By may a minor victory had been won in distant Alsace, but it was estimated that the region could hold out for well over a year. Unable to provide adequate supplies, the seige was aborted. Forces remained in Alsace to cover the border and prevent the Habsburgs from funneling new soldiers to the war if at all possible. This brought many complaints, as the army stationed there was both hungry and miserable. Rebellions continued to rage in the south, especially since most resources and men were being diverted north to fight the Holy Roman Emperor.
The winter turned to spring and soon spring turned to summer. During the summer of 1527 Emperor John I crossed swords, not once but twice with Ferdinand himself in Moravia, one of the recently inherited lands of the Habsburg ruler. The first such battle was unexpected and despite not having fresh troops or supplies, John Zapolya decided to press the battle, thinking that Ferdinand did not have what it took to lead an army. His arrogance proved his undoing and more than ten thousand hungarian soldiers died on account of it, including the corporal Benedek.
In August John I and Ferdinand once again met in Moravia, perhaps only fourty miles from their previous engagement. This time John had the forces and wisdom to carry a victory, sending Ferdinand fleeing into upper Bohemia. Splitting a smaller force of troops off from his main force, he had Vienna put under seige even as he waited with the bulk of the army in Moravia.
Elsewhere in the empire things were still chaotic. While the muslim backed rebellion of Kastamanu was crushed, Bulgaria fell to rebel hapsburg supporters. Fortunately however the Emperor of the east was not lacking in his commitment to the war. After crushing a group of habsburg rebels in Remelia, a Byzantine force of over 30,000 arrived in october to aid in the seige of Vienna. The Byzantine general haughtily took command of the seige, to which John I was pleased to allow. He knew that only glory would be won there and what he cared about was land. He knew all too well the power land could grant, having himself risen from landowner to Emperor of Hungary.
In the june of 1528 Moravia falls to John Zapolya. The flag of Hungary is quickly raised over its capital city. This victory is believed to have spurred desperate supporters of Ferdinand into action, for shortly after rebellions spring up in Tyrol and Dalmatia.
The Tyrolian rebellion was quickly quashed, but Dalmatia proved to be a different problem entirely. A rebel force over 27,000 strong had gathered and began to seige the loyal garrisons. Bari of Ragusa was suspected in having a hand, for it was inconcievable that the rabble had gathered in such force. Miklos Zrinyi is called to put down the Dalmatian rebellion and manages to do so, though not without heavy losses.
Elsewhere a minor rebellion was defeated in Armenia and in the process Russia's diplomats insulted Hungary. Making a comment about taking control of Armenia if the Hungarians did not have the fortitude to do so.
Where rebellions seemed to be causing problems for the Empire of Hungary, the Kingdom of Jerusalem accepted them as blessings. On the 1st of may 1529 a group of samarian rebels took control of their local government and joined themselves to the growing Kingdom. Many in Hungary took this as a good sign and their supersitions were helped along when news came that Vienna had fallen to allied forces. In what was called the peace of succession, the war ended. Ferdinand was to relinquish his claims on the crown of Hungary but would be recognized as the King of Bohemia, save for Moravia which was given to the Empire of the double cross. In addition the hapsburgs were forced to pay a minor sum of 50 gold bars to Hungary, Byzantium and Helvetia.
An uneasy peace.
"One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands. Lasting peace comes not from force." -- David Borenstein
Though peace had been restored through treaty, many refused to recognize that the issue had been settled. Rebellions still burned hot throughout the Empire and the soldiers who had fought against austria to defend Hungary were now turned against their own people.
In June a protestant uprising in Banat was harshly put down and in July Miklos Zrinyi had managed to defeat the rebels in Bulgaria, recapturing the region from a self appointed dictator, before returning to the empire's greek holdings.
In an act many have questioned, Emperor John I, extended an offer to the Kingdom of Jerusalem to enter into alliance with Hungary and Byzantium. On the last day of July, the year of our lord fifteen twenty nine, the King of Jerusalem accepts.
Still recovering from the war of succession and the various rebellions that occured as a result of it, a devestating plague sweeps across the Carpathian basin in late novemeber. Thousands die from the horrid disease and many more fall ill.
In 1530 Emperor John I learns that Jerusalem declared war on Persia, but for some reason decided not to call on its new allies for aid. Wishing the distant king the best, John I is content to focus on getting adjusted to his new life of power. As 1530 came to a close, so too did the life of one of Hungarys great heros. Miklos Zrinyi passed away in his Anatolian home with the last words "one more go". What he meant by this was widely disputed, but many think it was intended for his wife.
The year of 1531 seemed to pass quietly enough until winter when Mantua explodes into rebellion, no doubt supported by Venice. The region quickly falls to the rebels and with forces elsewhere, the minor garrisons are quickly dispatched by the villains.
In February, the Knights of the Dragon, driven into a state of zealous rage by the recent revolts, descends brutally upon the province of Serbia. Effectively blending murder with the preaching of christ, the Orthodox serbian population is convinced at sword point to adopt the ways of Catholism. The Emperor John I turned a blind eye to this illegal butchery, not wishing to bring the ire of the powerful order at this delicate time.
In april, Helvetia, long a vassal state of the Empire is convinced to renounce its independance and join fully with Hungary. While some question Zapolya's reasoning in this, two main issues are said to have led to the incorporation of the swiss kingdom. The first was the way of protestantism that was sweeping Europe. Many believed that Helvetia might become caught up in the heresy and break its allegiance to the crown of the double cross. The other reason was the need of fresh troops to put down the various rebellions. The swiss had long had a potent standing army, but did nothing with it. After its incorporation into the Empire the swiss regiments were sent into Mantua, where they quickly surpressed the rebellion and killed its leaders.
By the year of 1533, the country seemed well on the way to recovery and John I was allowed to attend to more Kingly affairs. On the 1st of the year he was married to a french princess by the name of Aceline de Brienne. Shortly after, his cousin was married to the brother of the Emperor in Constantinople. In June, John I surprised those who accused him as rough handed and tyrannical, when he further abolished more of the restrictions of serfs. In his policies he also gave equal freedoms to christian turks. Many of whom had since been born never knowing anything outside the Empire of Hungary.
The heresy of Luther continued to spread across Europe, now reaching the frozen northlands. By August both Norway and Denmark declared themselves Protestant kingdoms. Shortly after England also declared that it would follow this new teaching, probably more to shun the pope than anything else.
When the taxes for the new year were being collected the powerful nobles of Kosovo and Bulgaria decided not to pay taxes to the crown, claiming that they needed it to rebuild after the war. Unwilling to risk another rebellion John I allowed this to pass, but secretly vowed that he would revenge himself upon them at a more oppurtune time.
In hindsight this was a very wise move, for April of 1534 brought new woes to the Empire of Hungary. Seemingly out of the blue, Russia, the self proclaimed third rome, declared war against Hungary. The first Russo-Hungarian war had begun.
"Death comes to all, but great achievements build a monument which shall endure until the sun grows cold."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"Until the lions have their historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunter." -- African proverb.
"It doesn't take a majority to make a rebellion; it takes only a few determined leaders and a sound cause."
-- H. L. Mencken
The August of 1526 brought new troubles to the young Empire of Hungary. In the midst of a new form of Heresy and with the religion of Islam still practiced in some of the more recently added provinces, Hungary needed a time of peace in which it could turn inwards and build. Instead it was given the death of a king without heirs. Louis II, having decided to go out hunting to calm his nerves unexpectedly fell from his horse while chasing a wild boar. His neck was broken and he died before anything could be done for him. While some were suspected of foul play, much of this talk was dismissed. The nation had bigger issues now. An emergency session was convened and the diet assembled the Golden Bull in order to discuss who might next rule the Empire. Some pointed to Louis's Aragonese-brother in law, but this was a small minority. Most felt that Aragon, a mere vassal of spain, should not have so much influence of the Empire of Hungary. In the end the true discussion came down between two candidates. Ferdinand of Hapsburg, who still claimed old inheritances to the crown of both Hungary and Bohemia, and the powerful translyvannian noble Janos (or john) Zapolya. In the end their truly was no choice for the Empire of the Double Cross.
The crown of Hungary and the empires interior states was passed to Janos Zapolya, who became John the I of Hungary. This action however was not without consequences. Spain, Austria and the Pope were all angered by the decisions of the diet, feeling the Ferdinand was more fit to rule. It did however please distant france and Poland.
Unwilling to allow his claim to the throne go uncontested, as well as seeing a chance to finally bring Hungary to its knees, Ferdinand declared war. With this declaration of war, Ferdinand reveals his wild card. Major rebellions break out throughout the land, as hidden supporters of the Austrians claim raise minor armies against the rightful Emperor. Dalmatia, Ruthenia, Trabizond, Bulgaria and Kastamanu rise up in rebellion. It is suspected that Kastamanu's muslims merely used this as an oppurtunity and cared little for austrian or transylvannian rulers.
Even as the rebellious Protestant Bohemia accepts the Hapsburg as its elected King, John I was quick to call on Byzantium and Helvetia for aid, knowing that to fail here would doom Hungary to Habsburg domination.
While the revolts in Dalmatia, ruthenia and trabizond were quickly pacified, Emperor John I organized the majority of the army under his command and marched on Austria.
John Zapolya is a competant and skilled general but he was no match for the Austrian, von Frundsberg. Despite being outnumbered the skillful general served his masters well and turns back the emperor of Hungary, forcing him into pitiable retreat. Thousands of hungarians lay dead outside Vienna and it is said that John I swore revenge of the Austrian General.
It seemed however that von Frundsberg pressed his luck, seeking to take control of Steiermark before he had recouped from his losses against the Emperor of Hungary. Having long opposed hapsburg domination the regulars of Steiermark rallied under the command of a minor noble known as Albrecht Wiezdon. Using the fierce december to their advantage, the loyal german regulars after fifteen days of pitched battle, manage to force the Austrian army into retreat. General von Frundsberg decided to flee to Ostmarch, hoping to capture that territory and turn his defeat into a victory. Unknown to him however was that Janos, still bitter about his last defeat, had used the time since their last encounter to rebuild his forces. On February 9th, 1527, in the midst of a truly harsh winter, John I forced a battle outside a small unnamed town laying beside the Traun ( a tributary of the Danube). Seventeen thousand hungarian soldiers formed up to face the nearly twenty two thousand soldiers and mercenaries of the Landsknechte, under the command of General Georg von Frundsberg.
Harquebus verse Harquesbus, Austrian verse Hungarian, and Emperor verse General, the battle could have gone either way. In the hilly terrain and with the winter snow, the cavarly of both armies were effectively useless. In the end it was the detirmination of the infantry that carried the day. On the fifteenth day of combat, with the battlefield covered with the frozen corpses of enemies and comrades alike, two brothers known only as Benedek and Marton, both corporals, organized a sudden charge of von Frundsbergs right. While Marton never made it to the enemy, his brother and much of the infantry did. Chaos errupted along the austrian line as Benedek and the rest of the Hungarian infantry brought the battle back into the realm of swords and savagery.
Picking up on the momentary weakness of the feared Landsknechte John I pressed the attack. Thousands more bullets raked the enemy lines, and while more than a few cut down Hungarians as well, one lucky bullet caught the austrian general in the hip, tossing him from his white steed and into the thick of battle. If you believe the tales, the corporal Benedek, having witnessed the general's fall, cut a swath of destruction through the massed ranks to deliver the killing blow to Georg von Frundsberg. Whether this claim holds any truth is unimportant. With their general dead, the mercenary army retreated, giving John I the victory and revenge he desired.
Elsewhere the war was having mixed results. By may a minor victory had been won in distant Alsace, but it was estimated that the region could hold out for well over a year. Unable to provide adequate supplies, the seige was aborted. Forces remained in Alsace to cover the border and prevent the Habsburgs from funneling new soldiers to the war if at all possible. This brought many complaints, as the army stationed there was both hungry and miserable. Rebellions continued to rage in the south, especially since most resources and men were being diverted north to fight the Holy Roman Emperor.
The winter turned to spring and soon spring turned to summer. During the summer of 1527 Emperor John I crossed swords, not once but twice with Ferdinand himself in Moravia, one of the recently inherited lands of the Habsburg ruler. The first such battle was unexpected and despite not having fresh troops or supplies, John Zapolya decided to press the battle, thinking that Ferdinand did not have what it took to lead an army. His arrogance proved his undoing and more than ten thousand hungarian soldiers died on account of it, including the corporal Benedek.
In August John I and Ferdinand once again met in Moravia, perhaps only fourty miles from their previous engagement. This time John had the forces and wisdom to carry a victory, sending Ferdinand fleeing into upper Bohemia. Splitting a smaller force of troops off from his main force, he had Vienna put under seige even as he waited with the bulk of the army in Moravia.
Elsewhere in the empire things were still chaotic. While the muslim backed rebellion of Kastamanu was crushed, Bulgaria fell to rebel hapsburg supporters. Fortunately however the Emperor of the east was not lacking in his commitment to the war. After crushing a group of habsburg rebels in Remelia, a Byzantine force of over 30,000 arrived in october to aid in the seige of Vienna. The Byzantine general haughtily took command of the seige, to which John I was pleased to allow. He knew that only glory would be won there and what he cared about was land. He knew all too well the power land could grant, having himself risen from landowner to Emperor of Hungary.
In the june of 1528 Moravia falls to John Zapolya. The flag of Hungary is quickly raised over its capital city. This victory is believed to have spurred desperate supporters of Ferdinand into action, for shortly after rebellions spring up in Tyrol and Dalmatia.
The Tyrolian rebellion was quickly quashed, but Dalmatia proved to be a different problem entirely. A rebel force over 27,000 strong had gathered and began to seige the loyal garrisons. Bari of Ragusa was suspected in having a hand, for it was inconcievable that the rabble had gathered in such force. Miklos Zrinyi is called to put down the Dalmatian rebellion and manages to do so, though not without heavy losses.
Elsewhere a minor rebellion was defeated in Armenia and in the process Russia's diplomats insulted Hungary. Making a comment about taking control of Armenia if the Hungarians did not have the fortitude to do so.
Where rebellions seemed to be causing problems for the Empire of Hungary, the Kingdom of Jerusalem accepted them as blessings. On the 1st of may 1529 a group of samarian rebels took control of their local government and joined themselves to the growing Kingdom. Many in Hungary took this as a good sign and their supersitions were helped along when news came that Vienna had fallen to allied forces. In what was called the peace of succession, the war ended. Ferdinand was to relinquish his claims on the crown of Hungary but would be recognized as the King of Bohemia, save for Moravia which was given to the Empire of the double cross. In addition the hapsburgs were forced to pay a minor sum of 50 gold bars to Hungary, Byzantium and Helvetia.
An uneasy peace.
"One cannot subdue a man by holding back his hands. Lasting peace comes not from force." -- David Borenstein
Though peace had been restored through treaty, many refused to recognize that the issue had been settled. Rebellions still burned hot throughout the Empire and the soldiers who had fought against austria to defend Hungary were now turned against their own people.
In June a protestant uprising in Banat was harshly put down and in July Miklos Zrinyi had managed to defeat the rebels in Bulgaria, recapturing the region from a self appointed dictator, before returning to the empire's greek holdings.
In an act many have questioned, Emperor John I, extended an offer to the Kingdom of Jerusalem to enter into alliance with Hungary and Byzantium. On the last day of July, the year of our lord fifteen twenty nine, the King of Jerusalem accepts.
Still recovering from the war of succession and the various rebellions that occured as a result of it, a devestating plague sweeps across the Carpathian basin in late novemeber. Thousands die from the horrid disease and many more fall ill.
In 1530 Emperor John I learns that Jerusalem declared war on Persia, but for some reason decided not to call on its new allies for aid. Wishing the distant king the best, John I is content to focus on getting adjusted to his new life of power. As 1530 came to a close, so too did the life of one of Hungarys great heros. Miklos Zrinyi passed away in his Anatolian home with the last words "one more go". What he meant by this was widely disputed, but many think it was intended for his wife.
The year of 1531 seemed to pass quietly enough until winter when Mantua explodes into rebellion, no doubt supported by Venice. The region quickly falls to the rebels and with forces elsewhere, the minor garrisons are quickly dispatched by the villains.
In February, the Knights of the Dragon, driven into a state of zealous rage by the recent revolts, descends brutally upon the province of Serbia. Effectively blending murder with the preaching of christ, the Orthodox serbian population is convinced at sword point to adopt the ways of Catholism. The Emperor John I turned a blind eye to this illegal butchery, not wishing to bring the ire of the powerful order at this delicate time.
In april, Helvetia, long a vassal state of the Empire is convinced to renounce its independance and join fully with Hungary. While some question Zapolya's reasoning in this, two main issues are said to have led to the incorporation of the swiss kingdom. The first was the way of protestantism that was sweeping Europe. Many believed that Helvetia might become caught up in the heresy and break its allegiance to the crown of the double cross. The other reason was the need of fresh troops to put down the various rebellions. The swiss had long had a potent standing army, but did nothing with it. After its incorporation into the Empire the swiss regiments were sent into Mantua, where they quickly surpressed the rebellion and killed its leaders.
By the year of 1533, the country seemed well on the way to recovery and John I was allowed to attend to more Kingly affairs. On the 1st of the year he was married to a french princess by the name of Aceline de Brienne. Shortly after, his cousin was married to the brother of the Emperor in Constantinople. In June, John I surprised those who accused him as rough handed and tyrannical, when he further abolished more of the restrictions of serfs. In his policies he also gave equal freedoms to christian turks. Many of whom had since been born never knowing anything outside the Empire of Hungary.
The heresy of Luther continued to spread across Europe, now reaching the frozen northlands. By August both Norway and Denmark declared themselves Protestant kingdoms. Shortly after England also declared that it would follow this new teaching, probably more to shun the pope than anything else.
When the taxes for the new year were being collected the powerful nobles of Kosovo and Bulgaria decided not to pay taxes to the crown, claiming that they needed it to rebuild after the war. Unwilling to risk another rebellion John I allowed this to pass, but secretly vowed that he would revenge himself upon them at a more oppurtune time.
In hindsight this was a very wise move, for April of 1534 brought new woes to the Empire of Hungary. Seemingly out of the blue, Russia, the self proclaimed third rome, declared war against Hungary. The first Russo-Hungarian war had begun.
Stupid Ferdinand and his eagerness for power!
Of well, at least Hungary survived.
You annexed Helevtia? Wow Hungary must be quite big.
Of well, at least Hungary survived
. You annexed Helevtia? Wow Hungary must be quite big.
I see you called the latest war "the first Russo-Hungarian war" and that suggests ominous news for the future. I really enjoyed your update with the war of succession. Nice story!
Hm, stupid move there from the Kingdom of Jerusalem , you got to protect them from the Persians, great update
, you got to protect them from the Persians, great update
I thought I would take this moment to give some info before my next update (probably a day or two, depending, but I have been known to catch a break, so you never know)
Helvetia was annexed, despite part of me wanting to keep it free. It was connected to the rest of the empire through Tyrol and I was being increasingly worried that protestantism would take root there. The main reason I annexed them though was that I really needed their army to put down the rebellions. It seemed like the easiest way.
As for the size of Hungary, yes it is fairly impressive, and while I have been promising a map for a while now, I can safely say that I will definately have a political map up showing the Empire after the Russo-Hungarian war.
As for it being the first of the Russo-Hungarian wars, I am in truth just guessing there. I have actually only played up to the end of the war. So everything after that is a mystery, but all I can say now is that, Russia will definately be a problem in the future, so more wars with them look likely (especially considering that Ivan the Terrible hasn't even come to the throne yet. I shudder to think what he will do with a fully formed Russia under his command) While I can not say for certain if there will be more Russo-Hungarian wars, it seems very likely.
As for the KoJ fighting the Persians. I was kind of surprised they didn't ask for aid. Maybe they knew I had problems of my own to sort out or maybe they wanted to go it solo to take all the glory. I am kind of glad they didn't call for help. The Imperial navy of Hungary is pretty sad.
Glad you are all enjoying it, that goes for those lurking readers who don't post as well.
Helvetia was annexed, despite part of me wanting to keep it free. It was connected to the rest of the empire through Tyrol and I was being increasingly worried that protestantism would take root there. The main reason I annexed them though was that I really needed their army to put down the rebellions. It seemed like the easiest way.
As for the size of Hungary, yes it is fairly impressive, and while I have been promising a map for a while now, I can safely say that I will definately have a political map up showing the Empire after the Russo-Hungarian war.
As for it being the first of the Russo-Hungarian wars, I am in truth just guessing there. I have actually only played up to the end of the war. So everything after that is a mystery, but all I can say now is that, Russia will definately be a problem in the future, so more wars with them look likely (especially considering that Ivan the Terrible hasn't even come to the throne yet. I shudder to think what he will do with a fully formed Russia under his command) While I can not say for certain if there will be more Russo-Hungarian wars, it seems very likely.
As for the KoJ fighting the Persians. I was kind of surprised they didn't ask for aid. Maybe they knew I had problems of my own to sort out or maybe they wanted to go it solo to take all the glory. I am kind of glad they didn't call for help. The Imperial navy of Hungary is pretty sad.
Glad you are all enjoying it, that goes for those lurking readers who don't post as well.
I love it when the austrians are stomped. The whole inheritence thing really gets me going sometimes. Go ahead and take as much of russia as you can. Are the lithuanians in the way? Keep up the fine work.:rofl:
"Any event, once it has occurred, can be made to appear inevitable by a competent historian." -- Lee Simonson
"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon." -- Napoleon Bonaparte
"War is not merely a political act but a real political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, a carrying out of the same by other means."
-- Karl Von Clausewitz
The first Russo-Hungarian war officially began on April 22nd, 1534. Though the first battle would not take place until may, many believe that a war between these two rising powers of the time was inevitable. Yet still many are unsure what exactly caused the war. Some say that Russia felt threatened by Hungary's support of Constantinople, having wanted to claim the honor of being a new rome. Still others claim it was all about the Armenian gold and greed drove the Russian declaration of war. Russia did not come alone to the battle field either. Sometime earlier the Russians had forged an unlikely alliance with Poland, Ragusa, Naples and the distant Kingdoms of Scotland and Eire. All of these nations joined Russia in its war. Fortunately the Empire of Hungary had both the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Empire to count on as well.
Faced with war from all sides, John I of Hungary sought first to deal with the treacherous poles, who had broken several minor treaties in their declaration of war. It was his hope that if the Polish could be knocked out of the conflict early enough, Hungary could focus on its southern and eastern borders.
The first battle of the war occured on may 8th on the open plain of Galizien. There four thousand Hungarian huszárs charged the standing polish defense force of just under six thousand infantry in epic fashion. In a battle which lasted twenty days, the Hungarian cavalry continously employeed hit and run tactics before finally committing to an "all or nothing" charge. The polish broke in the face of such reckless ferocity and brave huszárs claimed victory.
Elsewhere however bravely did not prove enough to carry the day. Further south a regiment of five thousand huszárs rode boldly into the national borders of Ragusa. There they encountered a mixed army of thirty thousand, nearly the whole of Ragusa's military. Instead of turning back the huszárs, their heads filled with thoughts of glory and medals, charged the massive force. Perhaps they thought that they could catch the Ragusan's off guard. They were wrong. Within two days the cavalry had lost and out of the five thousand that charged eleven survived to tell the tale.
Janos Zapolya however did not wait to begin the march himself. Leading 11,000 of what he considered his best men, many skilled in seige warfare, he began an attack on the fortresses of polish Silezia on the last day of may. This however was not to be outdone by the polish themselves, who 10 days later began to seige the recently won province of Moravia with four thousand more men than Emperor John I himself had.
In the distant region of the Empire the southern most Russian province of georgia fell under seige from the local armenian force, but this minor victory was overshadowed by the first true defeat of the war. On June 22nd, the army of Ragusa decided to bring the battle into the borders of Hungary. Numbering over 24,000 soldiers, the fortress of Laassog in Dalmatia was attacked by the army of Ragusa. The defenders were hopelessly outnumbered and destroyed within two days. From there, the triumphant army moved deeper into the province, intent on capturing it for the glory of their small merchant republic.
All was not lost however for even as the seige in Dalmatia began, a Byzantine general by the name of Stauracius Darhdanes marched towards Ragusa's capital city of the same name.
Elsewhere it seemed the war was one of minor skirmishes led by the cavalry. The huszárs who had claimed victory in Galizien were far from finished and in june raided deeper into the borders of poland wiping out a camp of raw polish recruits. Many young polish men died that day before they even realized that the war had come to them.
In the hills of Georgia six thousand cossacks descended upon the much smaller hungarian force. On the verge of total defeat however, the beseiged hungarians were reinforced by a local branch of the Knights of St. Stephen that had set up opperations in Trebizond. With the reserves, the Hungarians were able to destroy the russian horsemen.
Earlier in July the Byzantine army claimed victory over the smaller army Ragusa left in defense of its capital. Forced into flight the beaten defenders of ragusa met fate in mid august outside the rugged mountains of albania where they were ambushed by local mercenaries in the employ of the Empire of the double cross.
The polish continued to attack, mustering forces from within their sizable Kingdom. Seven thousand polish knights made an attempt to lift the Hungarian emperors seige of Silezia, but were effortlessly turned aside. To further add to polish humilation, in early september 2,000 carpathian dragoons attack a camped division of 8,000 polish cavalry outside the capital of Krakow. To both sides surprise, the polish cavalry is forced into retreat, though the carpathians hardly have enough of a force left to even consider holding the ground won.
Following the defeat of the polish cavalry, ten thousand new troops marched out of the Carpathian basin with cannon and harquebuses and soon set up seige in Galizien.
October 6th, after having been forced to lift the seige of Dalmatia, the Ragusan forces were triumphant over the Byzantine army. Once more setting out to deal damage to their hated foes the Hungarians, the army of Ragusa, still 18,000 men strong attacks and utterly wipes out the small garrison of ruthenia, before continuing on. On the seas the military strength of Ragusa also shines when the evenly matched fleets of Hungary and the small merchant republic meet on the adriatic.
The continuous victories of Ragusa prompts the crown of Hungary to mobilize more forces, issuing another set of war taxes. Battles rage through the winter. Nine thousand hungarians attack the city of Ragusa, winning a victory over the defense force and setting up seige, even as the army of Ragusa squares off against a newly conscripted force of nearly 20,000 Hungarian soldiers. Though outnumbered by about four thousand troops, the army of Ragusa claims a stunning victory south of the cities of Buda and Pest. The ignominious defeat is only greeted with more bad news. Anatolia falls under the control of Islamic militants in a surprise rebellion and a new wave of Russians relieve the seige of Georgia, forcing the local force into retreat back to Armenia.
This wave of bad news does not bother Emperor John I though. By early december Silezia falls to his forces. Reinforced by fresh troops, many from the defeated army of Pest, the Emperor decides to ignore polish seige of Moravia and instead moves with twenty eight thousand troops to Polands capital of Krakow. Sweeping aside the meager resistance in place around the capital (4,000 cavalry) the Emperor orders an immediate assault upon its walls. The cannons of Hungary hammer away at the defenses of the polish capital for thirty days before the walls crumble and give. With savage glee the Imperial army pours into Krakow, looting and pillaging like norsemen.
John I shortly regained control of his men, turning them against the approaching army of Ragusa which was too late to relieve the seige of their allies. This time however Hungary claims victory over the ragusans, who were tired, under supplied and perhaps overconfident. By march, the Emperor, riding a wave of victories turned his army towards Moravia in an attempt to lift the seige.
He arrived just in time and soon slaughtered the poles, who were outnumbered by nearly ten thousand men. This defeat forces poland to sign a seperate peace to end the war. Polands territorial claims on Silezia were given to the crown of Hungary. More importantly however, was that the northern front was now closed. Hearing this news the powerful nobles of Hungary offered a gift to the state of 375 gold bars, as a show of their continuing support for the war.
The war had turned around. While continued skirmished happened along the Armenian-Georgia border, neither side claimed any significant victory, though steadily knights of St. Stephen pushed into Georgia again. Anatolia itself was freed of the rebel menace with Byzantine help and on August 25th, Emperor Janos Zapolya led the Hadsereg bol Ausztria into Ragusa to take command of the seige. As impatient as he ever was, the Emperor ordered an assault upon the city. Though it cost the lives of over 8,000 Hungarian soldiers, the defenses of Ragusa were breached. Imperial troops poured in, Imprisoning Bari of Ragusa and taking command of the region. On the same day, Georgia fell to the Knights of St. Stephen.
Annexing the troublesome republic of Ragusa once and for all through use of its military, Hungary now believed that peace could finally be made with the other three powers involved. A generous offer was sent to the reigning Tsarina in Moscow, but it was rejected.
News from the south said that the scots were continually causing problem for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but word was that the Kingdom had just won a victory and the scotsmen were poorly supplied. The very fact that they traveled so far however was a testiment to their character. Desiring peace, pressure was strengthened against Russia. By November a seige was set up in Sochi and the combined Byzantine and Hungarian navy won a victory over naples in the straits of Otranto.
By the year of our lord fifteen thirty six, it was clear that the continued war was beginning to have an effect on the stability of the nation as revolts broke out in Bujak and the usually quiet Steiermark. By march Emperor John I himself personally quashed the revolts, even as orders for quicker results were demanded. By april the army gave the Emperor what he wanted. Sochi fell to the Knights of St. Stephen and the Imperial forces. Shortly after Azow also fell under seige. Seeing defeat written clearly, a peace was recieved from Russia.
Tsarina Elena Glinslaya offered 240 bars of gold to be paid to the Byzantine Empire, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the Empire of Hungary. This peace was accepted on may 9th, 1536. While no land changed hands between Russia and Hungary, John I knew that he had come out on top. Ragusa, a long time thorn in the side of Hungary was independant no longer. In addition land had been won in the north and the Empire alliance proved itself once more triumphant.
While many were quick to celebrate, some others realized that while the war was over, the threat from the rising power of Russia was far from over.
*****
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"A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon." -- Napoleon Bonaparte
"War is not merely a political act but a real political instrument, a continuation of political intercourse, a carrying out of the same by other means."
-- Karl Von Clausewitz
The first Russo-Hungarian war officially began on April 22nd, 1534. Though the first battle would not take place until may, many believe that a war between these two rising powers of the time was inevitable. Yet still many are unsure what exactly caused the war. Some say that Russia felt threatened by Hungary's support of Constantinople, having wanted to claim the honor of being a new rome. Still others claim it was all about the Armenian gold and greed drove the Russian declaration of war. Russia did not come alone to the battle field either. Sometime earlier the Russians had forged an unlikely alliance with Poland, Ragusa, Naples and the distant Kingdoms of Scotland and Eire. All of these nations joined Russia in its war. Fortunately the Empire of Hungary had both the Kingdom of Jerusalem and the Byzantine Empire to count on as well.
Faced with war from all sides, John I of Hungary sought first to deal with the treacherous poles, who had broken several minor treaties in their declaration of war. It was his hope that if the Polish could be knocked out of the conflict early enough, Hungary could focus on its southern and eastern borders.
The first battle of the war occured on may 8th on the open plain of Galizien. There four thousand Hungarian huszárs charged the standing polish defense force of just under six thousand infantry in epic fashion. In a battle which lasted twenty days, the Hungarian cavalry continously employeed hit and run tactics before finally committing to an "all or nothing" charge. The polish broke in the face of such reckless ferocity and brave huszárs claimed victory.
Elsewhere however bravely did not prove enough to carry the day. Further south a regiment of five thousand huszárs rode boldly into the national borders of Ragusa. There they encountered a mixed army of thirty thousand, nearly the whole of Ragusa's military. Instead of turning back the huszárs, their heads filled with thoughts of glory and medals, charged the massive force. Perhaps they thought that they could catch the Ragusan's off guard. They were wrong. Within two days the cavalry had lost and out of the five thousand that charged eleven survived to tell the tale.
Janos Zapolya however did not wait to begin the march himself. Leading 11,000 of what he considered his best men, many skilled in seige warfare, he began an attack on the fortresses of polish Silezia on the last day of may. This however was not to be outdone by the polish themselves, who 10 days later began to seige the recently won province of Moravia with four thousand more men than Emperor John I himself had.
In the distant region of the Empire the southern most Russian province of georgia fell under seige from the local armenian force, but this minor victory was overshadowed by the first true defeat of the war. On June 22nd, the army of Ragusa decided to bring the battle into the borders of Hungary. Numbering over 24,000 soldiers, the fortress of Laassog in Dalmatia was attacked by the army of Ragusa. The defenders were hopelessly outnumbered and destroyed within two days. From there, the triumphant army moved deeper into the province, intent on capturing it for the glory of their small merchant republic.
All was not lost however for even as the seige in Dalmatia began, a Byzantine general by the name of Stauracius Darhdanes marched towards Ragusa's capital city of the same name.
Elsewhere it seemed the war was one of minor skirmishes led by the cavalry. The huszárs who had claimed victory in Galizien were far from finished and in june raided deeper into the borders of poland wiping out a camp of raw polish recruits. Many young polish men died that day before they even realized that the war had come to them.
In the hills of Georgia six thousand cossacks descended upon the much smaller hungarian force. On the verge of total defeat however, the beseiged hungarians were reinforced by a local branch of the Knights of St. Stephen that had set up opperations in Trebizond. With the reserves, the Hungarians were able to destroy the russian horsemen.
Earlier in July the Byzantine army claimed victory over the smaller army Ragusa left in defense of its capital. Forced into flight the beaten defenders of ragusa met fate in mid august outside the rugged mountains of albania where they were ambushed by local mercenaries in the employ of the Empire of the double cross.
The polish continued to attack, mustering forces from within their sizable Kingdom. Seven thousand polish knights made an attempt to lift the Hungarian emperors seige of Silezia, but were effortlessly turned aside. To further add to polish humilation, in early september 2,000 carpathian dragoons attack a camped division of 8,000 polish cavalry outside the capital of Krakow. To both sides surprise, the polish cavalry is forced into retreat, though the carpathians hardly have enough of a force left to even consider holding the ground won.
Following the defeat of the polish cavalry, ten thousand new troops marched out of the Carpathian basin with cannon and harquebuses and soon set up seige in Galizien.
October 6th, after having been forced to lift the seige of Dalmatia, the Ragusan forces were triumphant over the Byzantine army. Once more setting out to deal damage to their hated foes the Hungarians, the army of Ragusa, still 18,000 men strong attacks and utterly wipes out the small garrison of ruthenia, before continuing on. On the seas the military strength of Ragusa also shines when the evenly matched fleets of Hungary and the small merchant republic meet on the adriatic.
The continuous victories of Ragusa prompts the crown of Hungary to mobilize more forces, issuing another set of war taxes. Battles rage through the winter. Nine thousand hungarians attack the city of Ragusa, winning a victory over the defense force and setting up seige, even as the army of Ragusa squares off against a newly conscripted force of nearly 20,000 Hungarian soldiers. Though outnumbered by about four thousand troops, the army of Ragusa claims a stunning victory south of the cities of Buda and Pest. The ignominious defeat is only greeted with more bad news. Anatolia falls under the control of Islamic militants in a surprise rebellion and a new wave of Russians relieve the seige of Georgia, forcing the local force into retreat back to Armenia.
This wave of bad news does not bother Emperor John I though. By early december Silezia falls to his forces. Reinforced by fresh troops, many from the defeated army of Pest, the Emperor decides to ignore polish seige of Moravia and instead moves with twenty eight thousand troops to Polands capital of Krakow. Sweeping aside the meager resistance in place around the capital (4,000 cavalry) the Emperor orders an immediate assault upon its walls. The cannons of Hungary hammer away at the defenses of the polish capital for thirty days before the walls crumble and give. With savage glee the Imperial army pours into Krakow, looting and pillaging like norsemen.
John I shortly regained control of his men, turning them against the approaching army of Ragusa which was too late to relieve the seige of their allies. This time however Hungary claims victory over the ragusans, who were tired, under supplied and perhaps overconfident. By march, the Emperor, riding a wave of victories turned his army towards Moravia in an attempt to lift the seige.
He arrived just in time and soon slaughtered the poles, who were outnumbered by nearly ten thousand men. This defeat forces poland to sign a seperate peace to end the war. Polands territorial claims on Silezia were given to the crown of Hungary. More importantly however, was that the northern front was now closed. Hearing this news the powerful nobles of Hungary offered a gift to the state of 375 gold bars, as a show of their continuing support for the war.
The war had turned around. While continued skirmished happened along the Armenian-Georgia border, neither side claimed any significant victory, though steadily knights of St. Stephen pushed into Georgia again. Anatolia itself was freed of the rebel menace with Byzantine help and on August 25th, Emperor Janos Zapolya led the Hadsereg bol Ausztria into Ragusa to take command of the seige. As impatient as he ever was, the Emperor ordered an assault upon the city. Though it cost the lives of over 8,000 Hungarian soldiers, the defenses of Ragusa were breached. Imperial troops poured in, Imprisoning Bari of Ragusa and taking command of the region. On the same day, Georgia fell to the Knights of St. Stephen.
Annexing the troublesome republic of Ragusa once and for all through use of its military, Hungary now believed that peace could finally be made with the other three powers involved. A generous offer was sent to the reigning Tsarina in Moscow, but it was rejected.
News from the south said that the scots were continually causing problem for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, but word was that the Kingdom had just won a victory and the scotsmen were poorly supplied. The very fact that they traveled so far however was a testiment to their character. Desiring peace, pressure was strengthened against Russia. By November a seige was set up in Sochi and the combined Byzantine and Hungarian navy won a victory over naples in the straits of Otranto.
By the year of our lord fifteen thirty six, it was clear that the continued war was beginning to have an effect on the stability of the nation as revolts broke out in Bujak and the usually quiet Steiermark. By march Emperor John I himself personally quashed the revolts, even as orders for quicker results were demanded. By april the army gave the Emperor what he wanted. Sochi fell to the Knights of St. Stephen and the Imperial forces. Shortly after Azow also fell under seige. Seeing defeat written clearly, a peace was recieved from Russia.
Tsarina Elena Glinslaya offered 240 bars of gold to be paid to the Byzantine Empire, the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the Empire of Hungary. This peace was accepted on may 9th, 1536. While no land changed hands between Russia and Hungary, John I knew that he had come out on top. Ragusa, a long time thorn in the side of Hungary was independant no longer. In addition land had been won in the north and the Empire alliance proved itself once more triumphant.
While many were quick to celebrate, some others realized that while the war was over, the threat from the rising power of Russia was far from over.
*****