The Genoese Ascendancy, by Giovanni di Genovese, University of Andalusia Press, 1805. Appendix III – Timeline of principal events in the history of the Genoese Republican Empire, with explanatory notes and illustrative maps.
Genoa breaks from the Milanese Dependency, 1492-1507
1492 was a watershed year in the histroy of the Genoese Republic. A turning point, if you will, the point from which Genoa finally ceased pandering to the whims of her larger European neighbours and began to forge a place for herself on the world's political stage, playing a role far greater than that of mere banker and entrepot trade centre to the rest of the continent.
The key event of this period, the catalyst for change, was quite obviously the War of Independence against Milan. From 1492, the City Fathers secretly increased the numbers of Genoa’s armed forces, until in 1495 they felt strong enough to move against her overlords in Milan. The vassalisation agreement with Milan was cancelled and Genoese troops crossed the border and stormed the Milanese capital. The city fell within a few short month of siege and the Genoese Generals announced to the stunned Milanese that they should now consider themselves to be subjects of the Republic (see fig. 1)
Fig. 1
Genoa then pulled her head down beneath the parapet and braced for the potential storm of retribution from Venice and France, which never came. Thus the forced union of Milan with Genoa passed off peacefully enough and the Genoese Republic gained a valuable center of production.
The City Fathers also initiated a Trade Embargo [random] against all foreign merchants in 1498, which helped to secure the Genoese domestic monopoly for over four years.
The beginnings of Genoese Colonial Aspirations 1507 – 1514
In 1507, word of the Spaniards’ discoveries in the new world generated a great deal of interest among Genoa’s seafaring and adventurous people. Consequently, a rush of Colonists presented themselves and volunteered for the difficult and dangerous task of establishing Genoese territories in the New World.
But it wasn’t until 1509, when England obligingly sold the Genoese City Fathers a map of the New World and more importantly, details of the sea conditions on the Atlantic, that the Genoese were able to think of dispatching the first of their trade missions to the New World. And it wasn’t until 1514 that sufficient capital was available to make the risk worthwhile. By the end of that year, however, three trade posts flew the Genoese flag across the Ocean (see fig. 2)
Fig. 2
Years of Peace 1515 – 1519
This period saw a great deal of diplomatic activity, with much stronger links being forged between Genoa and her immediate neighbours to the west, Savoy. This strengthening relationship culminated in the Vassalisation of the Swiss in 1519. Shortly afterwards, a second great diplomatic coup was achieved when the mighty French nation agreed to join an alliance under the Genoese banner to better check the power of Spain in the Mediterranean.
The First Genoese-Venetian War, 1520-21 and the Franco-Spanish War of 1525-27
Genoa’s oldest rival, Venice, looking to secure her trade Empire in the Mediterranean, had signed herself away as vassals to the Russian nation. Still, her jealousy of Genoa’s growing power and influence led he to attempt to counter the situation with a declaration of war in 1520.
It was to be a terrible decision for the Venetians to have made, as Genoa’s superior troops swiftly seized the province of Mantua and then led an attack on Venice itself. The Venetians, fearing for their safety, swiftly sued for peace and offered Mantua to the Genoese in 1521, who expanded their North Italian holdings once again.
The next few year were peaceful and during this time Modena readily joined the Genoese-French alliance. Then, in 1525 the Spanish declared war on Genoa’s French allies and Genoa rallied the other members of the alliance to the support of their good friend.
Spain had already annexed her vassal Naples, who even earlier had seized the territories of Romagna and Bologna from the Pope. Thus Genoese armies were able to march into Eastern Italy, capturing both Romagna and Bologna, but before her diplomats could persuade the Spanish to accede to their most reasonable demands for the surrender of Bologna, the French and Spanish settled their differences and the war was brought to a precipitous – and most unprofitable – end.
The Franco-Austrian War, Setback & Diplomatic Blunder, Turkish Expansion into Europe, 1529 - 1539
Again Genoa was called upon to support her ally, this time as the French looked eastwards to Austrian-held territory in central Europe. The Venetians, however, supported their Austrain allies, thus giving the Genoese armies another chance to humiliate them on the battlefield.
All did not go as planned, however, as the Venetians beat back the Genoese armies from their capital, then inflicted a second defeat on them in the fields of Mantua. However, they then turned on Savoy, allowing the Genoese a chance to regroup and march on Venice once more. After six months of siege in 1530 the Venetians finally surrendered and the Genoese plundered their treasury, carrying off an extremely disappointing 3 ducats…
Disaster struck later that year when the Modenans capitulated and were annexed by Venice and thus Genoa lost a strategically important ally. France took Alsace from Austria in 1532 and ended that particular chapter of conflict, but fought on against Venice…
In 1532 the Genoese City Fathers offered union to the Savoyards, but they refused to contemplate the suggestion and indeed went so far as to cancel the vassalisation agreement – a grevious blow to Genoese pride. During this period, Spain also absorbed the Holy See of Rome within her borders, and thus the Republic now shared a common frontier with the very nation she had pitted herself against by alliance with France.
Then in 1535 all of Europe was stunned when the Austrians emerged defeated from War with Turkey, surrendering Tyrol and Helvetia (whom they had previously annexed) to the Ottoman Sultan (see fig. 3). Suddenly the very enemy of all Christendom was in our midst, and on Genoa’s northern border at that! The City Father feared that it would not be too long before Turkish eyes were turned towards Genoese lands…
Fig. 3
In 1539 the Franco-Venetian conflict finally ground to a halt and was settled by a white peace, after France had taken and then lost Modena and Venice had managed to seize the province of Provence, only to lose it to France once more. Honour was about all that was satisfied as a result…
The Franco-English War of 1540-43
Yet again Genoa was called on to support her larger ally when the French and English went to war over Calais in the Spring of 1540. Our main action was seen off the shores of Corsica, where our Admiral Andrea Doria repeatedly defeated an English fleet, eventually stealing their rutters, although disappointingly they had learned nothing new since they gave us their maps in 1509.
France finally took Calais from England in 1543 and peace was restored.
Growth and development, 1544 – 1553
This period began well with the re-vassalisation of Savoy in 1544 and the opening of a Fine Arts center in Genoa, paid for by donations from the city’s mercantile guilds [random]. The Centre of Trade in Kurland was seized by the Poles in 1547 and thus the power of the Teutonic Order was broken in the Baltic and the kingdom of Eire seized Strathclyde from the Scots in 1548.
8 warships were fitted out and donated to the navy in 1550 [random] and in 1551 we were able to appoint Governors to oversee the economic well-being of Genoa, Corsica, Milan and Mantua. All was boding well, until a diplomatic blow in 1553 saw France defect to the Polish alliance, leaving Genoa without the protection of her most powerful neighbour, and potentially at the mercy of the Spanish, not to mention the Turk.
The Union of Genoa and Savoy and the Second Genoese-Venetian War, 1554 – 1558
The beginning of 1554 saw the long-anticipated Union of Savoy and Genoa as Genoa’s Swiss neighbours, worried perhaps by the loss of France from their alliance, finally agreed to be absorbed into the Republic. Thus Savoie and Nice were added to Genoa’s demesnes. Genoa also invites Eire to join her alliance, but the Irishmen refuse and throw their lot in with Spain instead.
Then, later in the year, the decision is taken to declare war on Venice in order to liberate the province of Modena from their clutches. Genoese troops are successful, laying siege to Modena and the Venetian capital and the general situation is aided when the Turks also declare war on the Venetians in 1556.
Modena falls in January of 1557 and Venice follows in November of that year after an assault on her walls. TheVenetians surrender the province of Modena as well as 165d reparitions, and now Genoa commands but one less province than her north Italian neighbour and rival (see fig. 4), although it would have been an equal amount were it not for the Venetians’ bold seizure of Hellas from the Turk…
Fig. 4
Years of stability, overseas expansion and Religious Reform 1559 – 1570
The Republican Bank of Genoa was founded in 1559, thus increasing the potential capital available to the state in times of crisis [loans to 500d.] and in 1661 the surety of Genoa’s south-eastern border was secured with the vassalisation of Tuscany.
January 1562 was a great year for the Catholic Church as the Counter-Reform movement was declared to combat the evils of Protestantism, and Genoa swiftly and wholeheartedly offered her official support. This led to an increase in the number of hardy souls volunteering to make the journey to the new world and thus sparked the beginnings of Genoa’s Colonial Drive and can truly be said to be the period that heralded the true beginnings of her greatness.
In that same year Spain agreed to share explorations of the new world, thus opening till more territory to Genoese merchant and colonial venturers. At the same time, the Guadeloupe Company of Trade was formed to better oversee mercantile efforts in Genoa’s Caribbean sphere of influence.
Genoa’s first full colony was established in 1565 when 100 citizens traveled to increase the scope of the trade post in Bangor, and troops were sent to defend Republican subjects there. In the same year, Admiral Giovanni Dorea, son of the great Andrea, rose to command the Genoese fleet, although Andrea himself dies at the ripe old age of 70.
In 1566 the City fathers again saw fit to impose Trade Restrictions on the Genoese market [random], which once more served to boost the city’s coffers. The stage was set for the next step in Genoa’s rise to power.
