Hey guys! This will be my third AAR (though my Victoria 2 one was discontinued), and for this one I'll be playing the Empire of the Romans (Byzantine Empire) in the MEIOU and Taxes mod of EUIV. The starting date will be 1356, and I'll be playing on Hard with no bonus to AI/player, and no lucky nations. Of course, since it's a mod, I can't enable Iron Man mode, but the only time I will be using a save is in between play sessions. Please leave any feedback/constructive criticism, and I'll be more than happy to reply in turn to each post, and to give answers to any questions. Enjoy!
The Empire in and stemming from the city of Constantinople had many names. To western Europe it was known as the Empire of the Greeks. The Muslim world simply called it Rum, or Rome. To it's own people it was known as the Empire of the Romans - the last true vestige of the Roman Empire that had once dominated the known world. For centuries the glory that was once the Roman Empire had been decaying and declined to the point of near extinction. By the middle of the 14th century, famine, foreign invaders, and civil wars had taken a heavy toll. The Empire that had once encompassed the entire Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, France, Spain, England and parts of the Middle East, was reduced just to the city of Constantinople and the surrounding lands of Thrace, Thessaloniki, and Morea. The Empire also managed to cling desperately to Philadelphia - the last Roman-held city in Anatolia.
The Empire of the Romans before the Civil War of 1341
While the Empire had finally regained some stability under the reign of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos (1328-1341), it seemed that by the mid 1350's, the Eastern Roman Empire would finally be doomed to suffer a similar fate to that of the Western Empire nearly a millennium before. A civil war broke out upon the death of Andronikos in 1341 between his son, John of the Palaiologos dynasty, and his chief minister, John of the Kantakouzenos dynasty. This war would tear the Empire apart until it came to a final end in 1354, resulting in John VI Palaiologos (also known as Iohannes VI) becoming the sole Emperor, and the pretender being forced to retire and become a monk. Though political stability had been restored, the Empire had lost most of Greece and Macedonia, save for Thessaloniki, to the Serbs, Gallipoli and the surrounding area to the Ottoman Turks, and the territory north of the Evros River to Bulgaria. Furthermore, the city of Constantinople had been devastated by the Black Plague between the years of 1346 and 1349.
The Empire of the Romans in 1354, after Iohannes VI became the sole Emperor.
Emperor John VI used the next two years to consolidate what little power the Roman Empire had remaining. During this time he reformed the Roman military, reestablishing a standing army to reduce Roman dependence on mercenaries, and beginning the reconstruction of the Roman Navy. While Venice and Genoa were officially allies, relations were tense at best. Wars between the two Mediterranean powers and Rome were still fresh in memory, and Iohannes VI's mother, Anna of Savoy, had pawned the Roman Crown Jewels to Venice to fund the efforts during the civil war. Because of this, the Emperor began to look elsewhere for more stable allies. Meanwhile, in January of 1356, the cities of Abydos in Ottoman-held Anatolia, and Catana in Sicily, had risen against and overthrown their oppressors - and the Emperor began to look at each as a potential opportunity to reestablish footholds in Anatolia and Italy, and begin rebuilding the Empire that had been lost over the centuries.
1356 - The Empire of the Romans (dark purple) and the Principality of Morea (light purple), Roman allies Venice and Genoa (green), and successful rebellions against Sicily/Ottomans (red).
The Eagle Becomes a Phoenix
Table of Contents
Preface - The Ascension of Emperor John VI
Chapter One - From the Ashes
Chapter Two - The First Roman Reconquista: The Aegean War
Chapter Three - Dominance of the Aegean
Chapter Four - Greeks and Romans
Chapter Five - Conflict in Italy *NEW*
War Index
The Aegean War (1357-1365)
The Balkan War (1365-1373)
The War of Gorizian Succession (1375-1378) *NEW*
Preface - The Ascension of Emperor John VI
Table of Contents
Preface - The Ascension of Emperor John VI
Chapter One - From the Ashes
Chapter Two - The First Roman Reconquista: The Aegean War
Chapter Three - Dominance of the Aegean
Chapter Four - Greeks and Romans
Chapter Five - Conflict in Italy *NEW*
War Index
The Aegean War (1357-1365)
The Balkan War (1365-1373)
The War of Gorizian Succession (1375-1378) *NEW*
Preface - The Ascension of Emperor John VI
The Empire in and stemming from the city of Constantinople had many names. To western Europe it was known as the Empire of the Greeks. The Muslim world simply called it Rum, or Rome. To it's own people it was known as the Empire of the Romans - the last true vestige of the Roman Empire that had once dominated the known world. For centuries the glory that was once the Roman Empire had been decaying and declined to the point of near extinction. By the middle of the 14th century, famine, foreign invaders, and civil wars had taken a heavy toll. The Empire that had once encompassed the entire Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Italy, France, Spain, England and parts of the Middle East, was reduced just to the city of Constantinople and the surrounding lands of Thrace, Thessaloniki, and Morea. The Empire also managed to cling desperately to Philadelphia - the last Roman-held city in Anatolia.
The Empire of the Romans before the Civil War of 1341
While the Empire had finally regained some stability under the reign of Emperor Andronikos III Palaiologos (1328-1341), it seemed that by the mid 1350's, the Eastern Roman Empire would finally be doomed to suffer a similar fate to that of the Western Empire nearly a millennium before. A civil war broke out upon the death of Andronikos in 1341 between his son, John of the Palaiologos dynasty, and his chief minister, John of the Kantakouzenos dynasty. This war would tear the Empire apart until it came to a final end in 1354, resulting in John VI Palaiologos (also known as Iohannes VI) becoming the sole Emperor, and the pretender being forced to retire and become a monk. Though political stability had been restored, the Empire had lost most of Greece and Macedonia, save for Thessaloniki, to the Serbs, Gallipoli and the surrounding area to the Ottoman Turks, and the territory north of the Evros River to Bulgaria. Furthermore, the city of Constantinople had been devastated by the Black Plague between the years of 1346 and 1349.
The Empire of the Romans in 1354, after Iohannes VI became the sole Emperor.
Emperor John VI used the next two years to consolidate what little power the Roman Empire had remaining. During this time he reformed the Roman military, reestablishing a standing army to reduce Roman dependence on mercenaries, and beginning the reconstruction of the Roman Navy. While Venice and Genoa were officially allies, relations were tense at best. Wars between the two Mediterranean powers and Rome were still fresh in memory, and Iohannes VI's mother, Anna of Savoy, had pawned the Roman Crown Jewels to Venice to fund the efforts during the civil war. Because of this, the Emperor began to look elsewhere for more stable allies. Meanwhile, in January of 1356, the cities of Abydos in Ottoman-held Anatolia, and Catana in Sicily, had risen against and overthrown their oppressors - and the Emperor began to look at each as a potential opportunity to reestablish footholds in Anatolia and Italy, and begin rebuilding the Empire that had been lost over the centuries.
1356 - The Empire of the Romans (dark purple) and the Principality of Morea (light purple), Roman allies Venice and Genoa (green), and successful rebellions against Sicily/Ottomans (red).
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