Game Options:
Difficulty: Hard
Aggresiveness: Aggressive
Fantasy Options: Byzantium
This is my AAR about my game as the Byzantine Empire. My main goal was to revive Byzantium to it's former glory. Hope you Enjoy.The Revival of the Byzantine Empire
Introduction
By 1491, the once glorious Byzantine Empire consisted only of the province of Thrace. Most of its land had fallen into the hands of the blasphemous Ottomans of the East. The Empire’s military had also been annihilated by the Turks. Things were looking very bleak for the collapsing Empire.
Then, in December 1491, a twenty-three year old named Constantine XIII was crowned Emperor. He was a military man who had served during the last few wars against the Ottomans. He was one of the few successful commanders during these treacherous times. His attitude was one with almost unlimited charisma, and for this the people of Constantinople adored him. He had seen his friends and family be killed by the Turks and was eager for revenge against them.
The Crusade of 1493
Preparation for the Crusade of 1493
Byzantium had two main advantages that would carry it through the next few years:
First, it had amazing relations with the entire Orthodox world. These spectacular relations had assisted Constantine’s father in the formation of a strong anti-Ottoman alliance. The nations in this alliance were Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, Georgia, Venice, and, of course, Byzantium. This alliance was yet to have any action but that would soon change.
Second, it had Constantine XIII. This young man would make Byzantium one of the main powers of the world almost single-handedly.
As soon as Constantine came to power in December, 1492 he brought new economic and social reforms to the Empire. His first actions included improving tolerance for Catholics in Byzantium, and lowering the tolerance for Moslems. In the midst of his reforming of Byzantium, he heard wonderful news.
In mid April, 1492, Constantine was told that the Ottomans had declared war on the Sultanate of Mamalukes. Constantine knew that this would be the perfect time to strike the Ottomans.
He was eager to declare the war started, but his advisors told him to build his military forces, and to wait until the Ottomans were very involved in the war with the Sultanate. He took their advice.
So it was that between April of 1492 and January of 1493 there were military, economical, social, and diplomatic preparations for the Crusade. Then, after forming an army of about 35,000 men, Constantine and his allies were ready to fight.
On January 1, 1493, Constantine XIII of Byzantium declared war on the Ottoman Empire, who had already occupied half of the Sultanate of Mamalukes. The first battle would prove to be the most significant of the war.
The Massacre of the Holy Cross
In the province of Macedonia, 50,000 Turkish warriors under General Hadim Ali stood ready to fight the allied forces. Instead, the entire armies of Serbia, Walachia, and Byzantium all came to the mountains of Bulgaria. Hadim Ali, after being told of this, marched to Bulgaria, ready for battle, but no one could have been ready for what was about to happen…
On February 5, 17,000 Serbian troops, 10,000 Walachian troops, and 37,000 Byzantine troops under Constantine XIII met on the peaks of Bulgaria’s mountains. Two days later on February 7, 49,500 Turks arrived in Bulgaria and the battle that came to be known as the Massacre of the Holy Cross had begun.
Constantine, being a former General in the Byzantine army, brought much military expertise to the field, but Hadim Ali did not lack any of it either. For two days the fighting was indecisive but soon the elevated position of the allies began to wear away the Turkish forces. This lasted until February 19. Then, Constantine XIII sent the entire allied cavalry force down on the heads of the Turks. In the next six days, 25,000 Turks would be killed. On February 25, 1493, the massacre was over. The Ottomans had received 29,000 casualties, and the allies, 4,000.
The Strategy of Constantine XIII and the Ending of the Crusade
Constantine brought a new strategy to the battlefields of the Balkans during the Crusade. This strategy would cripple countless enemies during and after his reign. It was called nistevo polemo and consisted of numerous, simultaneous sieges of the enemy’s territory. Constantine split his 35,000 men into 5,000 man siege divisions. By April, Macedonia, Hellas, Albania, and Bulgaria were under siege by the Byzantines.
The Turks were fighting on three fronts, and besides a few small skirmishes there were no more colossal battles during this war. The Georgians were winning on the Eastern Front, the Mamalukes were getting their land back in the South, and the Byzantines were using their master strategy in the West.
Unfortunately, Walachia and Moldavia were both occupied by small Turkish armies that were not noticed by the other allies. Both nations were annexed between April and September, 1493.
However, Constantine continued his sieges and soon Macedonia, Hellas and Albania were under Byzantine control. Constantine decided that they had had enough war in December 1493 and offered the Turks peace for the annexation of Macedonia and Hellas to Byzantium. The Turks accepted and the Crusade of 1493 was over on December 16, 1493.
I would appreciate any critisism or anything like that. I will continue with the "Unsure Peace of 1494-1496" soon.
Difficulty: Hard
Aggresiveness: Aggressive
Fantasy Options: Byzantium
This is my AAR about my game as the Byzantine Empire. My main goal was to revive Byzantium to it's former glory. Hope you Enjoy.The Revival of the Byzantine Empire
Introduction
By 1491, the once glorious Byzantine Empire consisted only of the province of Thrace. Most of its land had fallen into the hands of the blasphemous Ottomans of the East. The Empire’s military had also been annihilated by the Turks. Things were looking very bleak for the collapsing Empire.
Then, in December 1491, a twenty-three year old named Constantine XIII was crowned Emperor. He was a military man who had served during the last few wars against the Ottomans. He was one of the few successful commanders during these treacherous times. His attitude was one with almost unlimited charisma, and for this the people of Constantinople adored him. He had seen his friends and family be killed by the Turks and was eager for revenge against them.
The Crusade of 1493
Preparation for the Crusade of 1493
Byzantium had two main advantages that would carry it through the next few years:
First, it had amazing relations with the entire Orthodox world. These spectacular relations had assisted Constantine’s father in the formation of a strong anti-Ottoman alliance. The nations in this alliance were Serbia, Wallachia, Moldavia, Georgia, Venice, and, of course, Byzantium. This alliance was yet to have any action but that would soon change.
Second, it had Constantine XIII. This young man would make Byzantium one of the main powers of the world almost single-handedly.
As soon as Constantine came to power in December, 1492 he brought new economic and social reforms to the Empire. His first actions included improving tolerance for Catholics in Byzantium, and lowering the tolerance for Moslems. In the midst of his reforming of Byzantium, he heard wonderful news.
In mid April, 1492, Constantine was told that the Ottomans had declared war on the Sultanate of Mamalukes. Constantine knew that this would be the perfect time to strike the Ottomans.
He was eager to declare the war started, but his advisors told him to build his military forces, and to wait until the Ottomans were very involved in the war with the Sultanate. He took their advice.
So it was that between April of 1492 and January of 1493 there were military, economical, social, and diplomatic preparations for the Crusade. Then, after forming an army of about 35,000 men, Constantine and his allies were ready to fight.
On January 1, 1493, Constantine XIII of Byzantium declared war on the Ottoman Empire, who had already occupied half of the Sultanate of Mamalukes. The first battle would prove to be the most significant of the war.
The Massacre of the Holy Cross
In the province of Macedonia, 50,000 Turkish warriors under General Hadim Ali stood ready to fight the allied forces. Instead, the entire armies of Serbia, Walachia, and Byzantium all came to the mountains of Bulgaria. Hadim Ali, after being told of this, marched to Bulgaria, ready for battle, but no one could have been ready for what was about to happen…
On February 5, 17,000 Serbian troops, 10,000 Walachian troops, and 37,000 Byzantine troops under Constantine XIII met on the peaks of Bulgaria’s mountains. Two days later on February 7, 49,500 Turks arrived in Bulgaria and the battle that came to be known as the Massacre of the Holy Cross had begun.
Constantine, being a former General in the Byzantine army, brought much military expertise to the field, but Hadim Ali did not lack any of it either. For two days the fighting was indecisive but soon the elevated position of the allies began to wear away the Turkish forces. This lasted until February 19. Then, Constantine XIII sent the entire allied cavalry force down on the heads of the Turks. In the next six days, 25,000 Turks would be killed. On February 25, 1493, the massacre was over. The Ottomans had received 29,000 casualties, and the allies, 4,000.
The Strategy of Constantine XIII and the Ending of the Crusade
Constantine brought a new strategy to the battlefields of the Balkans during the Crusade. This strategy would cripple countless enemies during and after his reign. It was called nistevo polemo and consisted of numerous, simultaneous sieges of the enemy’s territory. Constantine split his 35,000 men into 5,000 man siege divisions. By April, Macedonia, Hellas, Albania, and Bulgaria were under siege by the Byzantines.
The Turks were fighting on three fronts, and besides a few small skirmishes there were no more colossal battles during this war. The Georgians were winning on the Eastern Front, the Mamalukes were getting their land back in the South, and the Byzantines were using their master strategy in the West.
Unfortunately, Walachia and Moldavia were both occupied by small Turkish armies that were not noticed by the other allies. Both nations were annexed between April and September, 1493.
However, Constantine continued his sieges and soon Macedonia, Hellas and Albania were under Byzantine control. Constantine decided that they had had enough war in December 1493 and offered the Turks peace for the annexation of Macedonia and Hellas to Byzantium. The Turks accepted and the Crusade of 1493 was over on December 16, 1493.
I would appreciate any critisism or anything like that. I will continue with the "Unsure Peace of 1494-1496" soon.
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