Ah, so he's trying to get the necessary prestige this way. This can fire back at him, though I doubt it will. It's all for the Kingdom of Croatia, isn't it?
The Rise of Dalmatians
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whar are you planning to do with your land gains in the ME? keep them or give them to a "lucky" courtier
stnylan: He doesn't seem like a fellow that is too moved by "the greater good", does he? 
Well, as you say, perhaps it will change...
CSK: About the lovers update... As you say the event sequence does offer an opportunity to create a very good story, and I actually pondered the idea of making that update something completely different; a narrative about the love affair. In the end, I realised it would take too much time, and as I hadn't updated for a couple of days, I decided to write it in the usual style of this AAR. As for the crusade, yes it is all about prestige, or piety to become PC perhaps, so I can get some claims on the duchy of Croatia. You'll see how that will turn out
Dhimmi: That area is too hot to be kept by me. It will be given out. And can't really add to my demesne anyway, already 7 provinces in it. But more on that in the update after the following one.
Well, as you say, perhaps it will change...CSK: About the lovers update... As you say the event sequence does offer an opportunity to create a very good story, and I actually pondered the idea of making that update something completely different; a narrative about the love affair. In the end, I realised it would take too much time, and as I hadn't updated for a couple of days, I decided to write it in the usual style of this AAR. As for the crusade, yes it is all about prestige, or piety to become PC perhaps, so I can get some claims on the duchy of Croatia. You'll see how that will turn out
Dhimmi: That area is too hot to be kept by me. It will be given out. And can't really add to my demesne anyway, already 7 provinces in it. But more on that in the update after the following one.
Of Josip Crusading
In May of 1246 the fleet bearing the Split regiment approached the city of Acre, and right in the nick of time, as the forces of the Sheikdom of Suwaida had just defeated the Hospitaliers, led by Grandmaster Charles de Blanchegard, and were deploying their siege equipment. Josip immediately declared war on both Suwaida and Jerusalem and started the disembarkation of his troops.
As the Dalmatian forces prepared to engage the Muslims, a herald arrived and asked about Josip's ancestry, a question to which Josip answered without embelishment.
The forces of Suwaida and the Split regiment were evenly matched in numbers, but due to his superior leadership Josip forced the enemy to retreat even before the Reggio regiment arrived two weeks later. A short battle was fought with a rebel army also roaming the province, and then the duke set out on the march to Jerusalem. Envoys from sheik Hasan of Suwaida caught up with the Dalmatian column and offered 693 gold ducats in return for peace, and Josip happily accepted, enjoying the idea of Muslims financing his crusade.
In late June the Dalmatians entered the lands of the Sheikdom of Jerusalem, and the first engagement with the enemy occurred on the 29th of that month. Josip by this time had 3800 men at his command, while sheik Shahin had only 1800. On July 17th the Muslim morale finally broke and they ran from the province, and the city of Jerusalem was invested. During the siege the duke proclaimed that he had received a vision sent by God, and that he would forever be a crusader.
Josip liberated the city of Jerusalem on October 30th of the year 1246, news of which would quickly spread around Europe and gain the duke a lot of prestige, as well as having him forever be considered a pious man. The city was not plundered, quite the contrary, the duke immediately financed the construction of a school.
At that very time the city of Acre was once again under siege, this time by the forces of Manupra, an independent Egyptian sheikdom which also controlled the province of Jaffa west of Jerusalem. Although it was expected that Josip would rush to relieve the Hospitaliers once again, he first rested his troops for a fortnight, and then marched south on the sheikdom of Hebron. The forces of sheik Khudayar were quickly defeated, and then the duke again accepted a large sum of money on December 30th, this time 858 gold ducats, to leave the infidels alone.
Upon returning to Jerusalem on January 15th of 1246, the duke finally declared war on Manupra, but instead on marching on Acre, he headed for the city of Jaffa.
Josip argued that there was now not enough time to lift the siege, which might have been true. The Manupra forces split up upon capturing the Hospitaliers' stronghold, and while one regiment rushed south to give battle to the Dalmatians near Jaffa in mid February, another went to besiege Jerusalem. The battle of Jaffa was a short affair, with the Muslim forces retreating after just 2 days of fighting. The leader of the regiment investing Jerusalem was aware of his inability to capture the city before Josip took Jaffa and marched on him, so he let loose his soldiers, who plundered the province thoroughly.
The commander of the Manupra forces that had captured Acre had established himself as an independent sheik, and as the city of Jaffa fell into Josip's hands in late March the duke signed a peace with Manupra, thus ending the siege of Jerusalem, and marched north on the Muslim upstart. The only troops he encountered there were 500 rebels, and in the battle against them Josip allegedly displayed cowardice, but his reputation was not permanently damaged by this.
The city of Acre was liberated on September 27th of 1247, and the duke proclaimed his crusade was at an end.
The Rise of Dalmatians
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XIV: Of Josip Crusading
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XIV: Of Josip Crusading
In May of 1246 the fleet bearing the Split regiment approached the city of Acre, and right in the nick of time, as the forces of the Sheikdom of Suwaida had just defeated the Hospitaliers, led by Grandmaster Charles de Blanchegard, and were deploying their siege equipment. Josip immediately declared war on both Suwaida and Jerusalem and started the disembarkation of his troops.
As the Dalmatian forces prepared to engage the Muslims, a herald arrived and asked about Josip's ancestry, a question to which Josip answered without embelishment.
The forces of Suwaida and the Split regiment were evenly matched in numbers, but due to his superior leadership Josip forced the enemy to retreat even before the Reggio regiment arrived two weeks later. A short battle was fought with a rebel army also roaming the province, and then the duke set out on the march to Jerusalem. Envoys from sheik Hasan of Suwaida caught up with the Dalmatian column and offered 693 gold ducats in return for peace, and Josip happily accepted, enjoying the idea of Muslims financing his crusade.
In late June the Dalmatians entered the lands of the Sheikdom of Jerusalem, and the first engagement with the enemy occurred on the 29th of that month. Josip by this time had 3800 men at his command, while sheik Shahin had only 1800. On July 17th the Muslim morale finally broke and they ran from the province, and the city of Jerusalem was invested. During the siege the duke proclaimed that he had received a vision sent by God, and that he would forever be a crusader.
Josip liberated the city of Jerusalem on October 30th of the year 1246, news of which would quickly spread around Europe and gain the duke a lot of prestige, as well as having him forever be considered a pious man. The city was not plundered, quite the contrary, the duke immediately financed the construction of a school.
At that very time the city of Acre was once again under siege, this time by the forces of Manupra, an independent Egyptian sheikdom which also controlled the province of Jaffa west of Jerusalem. Although it was expected that Josip would rush to relieve the Hospitaliers once again, he first rested his troops for a fortnight, and then marched south on the sheikdom of Hebron. The forces of sheik Khudayar were quickly defeated, and then the duke again accepted a large sum of money on December 30th, this time 858 gold ducats, to leave the infidels alone.
Upon returning to Jerusalem on January 15th of 1246, the duke finally declared war on Manupra, but instead on marching on Acre, he headed for the city of Jaffa.
Josip argued that there was now not enough time to lift the siege, which might have been true. The Manupra forces split up upon capturing the Hospitaliers' stronghold, and while one regiment rushed south to give battle to the Dalmatians near Jaffa in mid February, another went to besiege Jerusalem. The battle of Jaffa was a short affair, with the Muslim forces retreating after just 2 days of fighting. The leader of the regiment investing Jerusalem was aware of his inability to capture the city before Josip took Jaffa and marched on him, so he let loose his soldiers, who plundered the province thoroughly.
The commander of the Manupra forces that had captured Acre had established himself as an independent sheik, and as the city of Jaffa fell into Josip's hands in late March the duke signed a peace with Manupra, thus ending the siege of Jerusalem, and marched north on the Muslim upstart. The only troops he encountered there were 500 rebels, and in the battle against them Josip allegedly displayed cowardice, but his reputation was not permanently damaged by this.
The city of Acre was liberated on September 27th of 1247, and the duke proclaimed his crusade was at an end.
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stnylan: What are you implying?
Jon Young: Josip possesses many great powers, the power of Yoink being just one among them! (erm... Yoink? )
Dhimmi: That is a completely valid question. But what does it matter, the money, prestige and piety are already mine! And I am thinking that you are reffering to bets not beds. I won't join in on the betting, because I have the unfair advantage of knowing exactly what happens. (erm.. I'll skip the bedding as well)
Jestor: What a great time for that event to fire! Gaining the crusader trait just as Josip is besieging the crusade target. Briliant! But as you can see from his later actions, it was all for show.
Update coming up. A bit earlier today because I'll probably be too busy partying tonight.
What are you implying? Jon Young: Josip possesses many great powers, the power of Yoink being just one among them! (erm... Yoink?
)Dhimmi: That is a completely valid question. But what does it matter, the money, prestige and piety are already mine!
And I am thinking that you are reffering to bets not beds. I won't join in on the betting, because I have the unfair advantage of knowing exactly what happens. (erm.. I'll skip the bedding as well)Jestor: What a great time for that event to fire! Gaining the crusader trait just as Josip is besieging the crusade target. Briliant! But as you can see from his later actions, it was all for show.
Update coming up. A bit earlier today because I'll probably be too busy partying tonight.
Of Homecoming
Prior to leaving the Holy Land, Josip proclaimed himself the Duke of Jerusalem. The provinces belonging to that duchy, Acre and Jerusalem, were given to his nephew Dominik Marinovic, the fourteen year old son of marshal Nikola. Charles de Blanchegard, previously the Grandmaster of the now destroyed Hospitaliers order, had joined the Dalmatian forces, but then started spreading word of how Josip intentionally let Acre fall to the Muslims, so that he could liberate it and then have enough provinces to recreate the duchy. To silence him, Josip made him the bishop of Jaffa. Through dealing with this, and other matters of intrigue throughout his reign, the duke gained much experience and new skills in this area.
Josip returned to Split near the end of the year 1247, just in time to see the end of the construction of the civilian harbor, which he had commissioned prior to leaving on the crusade. The money taken from the infidels was then used to start a number of new building projects. Funds were made available for the reconstruction of the harbor that had burnt down in Foggia, and the expansion of the church in Napoli was started. Expecting that he would soon be in war with the Duchy of Croatia, Josip also commissioned the building of small castles in Split and Zadar. As he was considered to be the most pious ruler in Christendom, he only needed the wretched witch Gizella of Marmaros to die, so that he could gain the ear of the Pope, and his backing against the Frankopans.
During the duke's absence, chancellor Klaudija of Krizevci had succumbed to stress due to her expanded duties, and Gyorgyi of Lukomorie, Josip's former mistress, had taken up her position. After the duke had rebuffed her in her attempt to rekindle their love affair two years previously, she had become a more temperate person and thus was better suited for the job.
Although marshal Nikola had recovered from his illness during the crusade, things were not looking great for other parts of the Marinovic family. The duke's other brother Slavac, who had been suffering from a depression for years now, and his younger son Zdeslav had both succumbed to an illness that had spread through the court. His older son Seslav had been ill for years at that point. As Josip's daughter Mihaela turned fifteen years old, she displayed signs of great selfishness, much like her father at that age, and this made her unable to perform well in her studies at the court, and just like Josip had been, she was then sent to a monastery.
News from the north said that the Kuban family, the counts of Zagreb since late Imre Arpad's days, had through marriage inherited the duchy of Pomerania, and so that Croatian province was now part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Imre's son Zsolt had once again brought Hungary into peril. The count of Krakowskie had rebelled against him and joined the Kingdom of Poland, and now the Hungarian king was warring against the Polish, as well as fighting the Golden Horde once more in the east. The tribe of Il-Khanate had managed to create a sizeable realm, as the French king was torn between them and the Almohad in Iberia, as well as having to face the occasional opportunistic English invasion. One of these had even forced him to take up residence on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
The Rise of Dalmatians
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XV: Of Homecoming
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XV: Of Homecoming
Prior to leaving the Holy Land, Josip proclaimed himself the Duke of Jerusalem. The provinces belonging to that duchy, Acre and Jerusalem, were given to his nephew Dominik Marinovic, the fourteen year old son of marshal Nikola. Charles de Blanchegard, previously the Grandmaster of the now destroyed Hospitaliers order, had joined the Dalmatian forces, but then started spreading word of how Josip intentionally let Acre fall to the Muslims, so that he could liberate it and then have enough provinces to recreate the duchy. To silence him, Josip made him the bishop of Jaffa. Through dealing with this, and other matters of intrigue throughout his reign, the duke gained much experience and new skills in this area.
Josip returned to Split near the end of the year 1247, just in time to see the end of the construction of the civilian harbor, which he had commissioned prior to leaving on the crusade. The money taken from the infidels was then used to start a number of new building projects. Funds were made available for the reconstruction of the harbor that had burnt down in Foggia, and the expansion of the church in Napoli was started. Expecting that he would soon be in war with the Duchy of Croatia, Josip also commissioned the building of small castles in Split and Zadar. As he was considered to be the most pious ruler in Christendom, he only needed the wretched witch Gizella of Marmaros to die, so that he could gain the ear of the Pope, and his backing against the Frankopans.
During the duke's absence, chancellor Klaudija of Krizevci had succumbed to stress due to her expanded duties, and Gyorgyi of Lukomorie, Josip's former mistress, had taken up her position. After the duke had rebuffed her in her attempt to rekindle their love affair two years previously, she had become a more temperate person and thus was better suited for the job.
Although marshal Nikola had recovered from his illness during the crusade, things were not looking great for other parts of the Marinovic family. The duke's other brother Slavac, who had been suffering from a depression for years now, and his younger son Zdeslav had both succumbed to an illness that had spread through the court. His older son Seslav had been ill for years at that point. As Josip's daughter Mihaela turned fifteen years old, she displayed signs of great selfishness, much like her father at that age, and this made her unable to perform well in her studies at the court, and just like Josip had been, she was then sent to a monastery.
News from the north said that the Kuban family, the counts of Zagreb since late Imre Arpad's days, had through marriage inherited the duchy of Pomerania, and so that Croatian province was now part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Imre's son Zsolt had once again brought Hungary into peril. The count of Krakowskie had rebelled against him and joined the Kingdom of Poland, and now the Hungarian king was warring against the Polish, as well as fighting the Golden Horde once more in the east. The tribe of Il-Khanate had managed to create a sizeable realm, as the French king was torn between them and the Almohad in Iberia, as well as having to face the occasional opportunistic English invasion. One of these had even forced him to take up residence on the shores of the Caspian Sea.
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Shame on both of you for enjoying the French troubles so much!
Although I dislike European kingdoms expanding much, I don't like them falling apart either. This was the begining of the end for France, as the war with the Mongols and the Almohad really spent them, and some bad rulers later on would ruin the kingdom completely. But more on that when the time comes.
Although I dislike European kingdoms expanding much, I don't like them falling apart either. This was the begining of the end for France, as the war with the Mongols and the Almohad really spent them, and some bad rulers later on would ruin the kingdom completely. But more on that when the time comes.
Of Three Weddings And No Funerals
In October of 1248 the duke's daughter Mihaela came of age and returned from the monastery she had been sent to. Again much like her father, she gained a lot of knowledge in the short time she spent there.
Josip wanted to make a very good match for his only daughter, and he first offered her hand to the king of Hungary Zsolt Arpad, and then to the Holy Roman Emperor Lambert von Hohenstaufen, who were both in their late thirties and widowed. But both the monarchs refused the offer, and the duke decided to bide his time until another good opportunity appeared.
But a very important marriage did take place at the Dalmatian court in January of 1249, as Ippolita Marinovic, the daughter of marshal Nikola, was wed to the ex-count Stjepan of Usora. She would quickly become heavy with child, but the pregnancy was a stressful one for her, and she would indeed go mad before its end.
That very month the reconstruction of the civilian harbor in Foggia ended, and the building of a glassworks started. In April the malaria in Reggio finally retreated and a harbor was commissioned there as well.
Things continued to go bad for Slavac Marinovic and his family. Both his and his son Zdeslav's condition worsened into pneumonia that month. The only bit of good news was that his older son Seslav, who was still ill as well, had finished his education in the army and had become a knowledgeable tactician.
April brought even more unwelcome news as Dominik Marinovic, count of Acre and Jerusalem, sent word that the Kingdom of Egypt had declared war on him. The duke knew that he could not stand against so big a power, and informed his nephew that he was on his own. Two weeks later the Emirates of Cyrenacia, Damascus and Aleppo also declared war on Dominik. Although this was quite obviously an abandonment of his vassal, Josip's reputation significantly improved as he granted Dominik the title Duke of Jerusalem, thus making him independent.
In June Dominik's father marshal Nikola was accused of using black magic to help his son in his war against the infidels. Josip held a fair trial locally in which his brother was cleared of all charges. The Jewish presence in the province of Venezia was opposed by many of the Dalmatian courtiers and they started a campaign to expel them, but the duke put a stop to it. Although the treasury was overflowing with gold, containing over 2000 ducats, Josip did not want to loose the positive effect they had on the Venetian income, especially as steward Klaudija became much stressed and less able to perform her duties well. These two acts, together with his improved reputation, made the Dalmatian people stop calling their ruler a cruel man.
Adolf von Wittelsbach, the duke of Karnten and the heir to the duchy of Bavaria, came of age in August of 1249 and Josip offered him Mihaela's hand in marriage. Josip was furious when this offer was refused as well, and vowed to wed her to the first man that asks. Just a couple of days later Libero of Crimea, who fought under Zsolt Arpad against the Golden Horde and had taken the county of Grassland Cheremisa for himself, expressed his wish to take Mihaela as his wife. Josip accepted, and raised a tax of 700 ducats from his subjects.
Libero would not hold on to his county for long, and he and Mihaela would return to his home in the bishopric of Crimea, where she would eventually become the chancellor.
In September Stjepan Marinovic, the son of the duke's late brother Zdeslav and the second in line of inheritance for the duchy of Dalmatia, returned to Split. His sister Letizia chose to remain with their mother's family in Varazdin. Josip arranged for Stjepan to be wed to Gyorgyi of Lukomorie, the duke's one-time mistress and current chancellor.
In October Dominik Marinovic also arrived in Split, having lost his holdings to the Muslims. To mollify him, Josip granted him his father Nikola's position of marshal. With Dominik also came his wife Dora of Feher. The two of them provided much amusement to the court by their fight over Dominik refusing to buy her more poetry and she refusing to share a bed with him in return. The duke immediately liked this spirited young woman, and named her the new spymistress, thus replacing Tvrtko of Southern Ural.
The Rise of Dalmatians
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XVI: Of Three Weddings And No Funerals
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XVI: Of Three Weddings And No Funerals
In October of 1248 the duke's daughter Mihaela came of age and returned from the monastery she had been sent to. Again much like her father, she gained a lot of knowledge in the short time she spent there.
Josip wanted to make a very good match for his only daughter, and he first offered her hand to the king of Hungary Zsolt Arpad, and then to the Holy Roman Emperor Lambert von Hohenstaufen, who were both in their late thirties and widowed. But both the monarchs refused the offer, and the duke decided to bide his time until another good opportunity appeared.
But a very important marriage did take place at the Dalmatian court in January of 1249, as Ippolita Marinovic, the daughter of marshal Nikola, was wed to the ex-count Stjepan of Usora. She would quickly become heavy with child, but the pregnancy was a stressful one for her, and she would indeed go mad before its end.
That very month the reconstruction of the civilian harbor in Foggia ended, and the building of a glassworks started. In April the malaria in Reggio finally retreated and a harbor was commissioned there as well.
Things continued to go bad for Slavac Marinovic and his family. Both his and his son Zdeslav's condition worsened into pneumonia that month. The only bit of good news was that his older son Seslav, who was still ill as well, had finished his education in the army and had become a knowledgeable tactician.
April brought even more unwelcome news as Dominik Marinovic, count of Acre and Jerusalem, sent word that the Kingdom of Egypt had declared war on him. The duke knew that he could not stand against so big a power, and informed his nephew that he was on his own. Two weeks later the Emirates of Cyrenacia, Damascus and Aleppo also declared war on Dominik. Although this was quite obviously an abandonment of his vassal, Josip's reputation significantly improved as he granted Dominik the title Duke of Jerusalem, thus making him independent.
In June Dominik's father marshal Nikola was accused of using black magic to help his son in his war against the infidels. Josip held a fair trial locally in which his brother was cleared of all charges. The Jewish presence in the province of Venezia was opposed by many of the Dalmatian courtiers and they started a campaign to expel them, but the duke put a stop to it. Although the treasury was overflowing with gold, containing over 2000 ducats, Josip did not want to loose the positive effect they had on the Venetian income, especially as steward Klaudija became much stressed and less able to perform her duties well. These two acts, together with his improved reputation, made the Dalmatian people stop calling their ruler a cruel man.
Adolf von Wittelsbach, the duke of Karnten and the heir to the duchy of Bavaria, came of age in August of 1249 and Josip offered him Mihaela's hand in marriage. Josip was furious when this offer was refused as well, and vowed to wed her to the first man that asks. Just a couple of days later Libero of Crimea, who fought under Zsolt Arpad against the Golden Horde and had taken the county of Grassland Cheremisa for himself, expressed his wish to take Mihaela as his wife. Josip accepted, and raised a tax of 700 ducats from his subjects.
Libero would not hold on to his county for long, and he and Mihaela would return to his home in the bishopric of Crimea, where she would eventually become the chancellor.
In September Stjepan Marinovic, the son of the duke's late brother Zdeslav and the second in line of inheritance for the duchy of Dalmatia, returned to Split. His sister Letizia chose to remain with their mother's family in Varazdin. Josip arranged for Stjepan to be wed to Gyorgyi of Lukomorie, the duke's one-time mistress and current chancellor.
In October Dominik Marinovic also arrived in Split, having lost his holdings to the Muslims. To mollify him, Josip granted him his father Nikola's position of marshal. With Dominik also came his wife Dora of Feher. The two of them provided much amusement to the court by their fight over Dominik refusing to buy her more poetry and she refusing to share a bed with him in return. The duke immediately liked this spirited young woman, and named her the new spymistress, thus replacing Tvrtko of Southern Ural.
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Very interesting happenings. I guess now that you have enough prestige we'll see the Kingdom of Croatia? Or will you wait to control the Pope?
It's really a shame though to see Christians and Muslims fight each other when the Mongols pose such a threat.
It's really a shame though to see Christians and Muslims fight each other when the Mongols pose such a threat.
CSK: Just to remind you, I was playing the game on very hard. So these 900+ prestige points were not enough to get a claim on the Duke of Croatia title. So yes, I was waiting to get PC, because I was sure I would with 2000 piety. It did not occur to me at the time that the PC is recalculated when the game loads (it is right?), but oh well...
stnylan: Lol yeah, once again abandoning a vassal. But the next update shows he maybe was sorry for that...
stnylan: Lol yeah, once again abandoning a vassal. But the next update shows he maybe was sorry for that...
Of The Split Resettlement
Galasso's obvious Italianization continued to irritate the duke profoundly. While being Croatian himself, all of Josip's provinces were mainly made up of Italian citizens, and with his son falling under their influence as well, he feared that he would not have the popular support for creating the Kingdom of Croatia. With the treasury filled with 3000 ducats, the duke decided to do something about it. In December of 1249 the Italian citizenry in Split was bribed to leave for Zadar and the holdings on the Apennine peninsula, and so the Croatian population gained dominance in the duchy's capital.
However, the cost of this project was 5000 ducats, and the treasury once again fell deep into debt. Over the course of the following year the fishery in Zadar, the mines in Split and Reggio, the forestry in the latter province, and the windmills and library in Napoli would all be sold to cover the expense. There was also not enough money to maintain the castle in Venezia, and most of it fell into disrepair, with only a small part of it being kept in use. The only construction done during this time were the projects that were started before the resettlement; the large church in Napoli, glassworks in Foggia, civilian harbor in Reggio and the small castles in Zadar and Split.
In the last days of the year 1249, it also became apparent that most of the population in Venezia had fallen under the influence of the Waldensian heretics.
Not wishing to agitate the Church by seeming to support this belief, Josip issued a series of decrees with which he greatly increased the power of the clergy in that province, and gave them permission to root out the heresy however they saw fit.
The year of 1250 saw the death of the duke's brother Slavac and his son Zdeslav from pneumonia. Another one of his sons, Zvonimir, finished his education at a monastery but had become only a fanatical priest, with little skills in any area. A change occurred on the council as the diocese bishop Vojnomir von Karnten passed away from old age, and was replaced by Tvrtko of Southern Ural, who had been the duke's spymaster during the crusading days.
In November news reached Split that Jerusalem was once again in the hands of an independent sheik, and that the pope himself had decided to lead an attack on it. Josip announced that he would return to the Holy Land and assist him. The treasury was still around 200 ducats in debt, and using the excuse of needing money for the crusade, the duke convened the estates general and craved a large contribution, gaining 1270 ducats in total.
But only the Split regiment was mobilized and set to travel to Jaffa, while these funds were used to finance the reconstruction of the mines in Split and Reggio, fishing wharf in Zadar, windmills in Napoli, as well as the building of a brand new naval harbor in Foggia.
The Rise of Dalmatians
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XVII: Of The Split Resettlement
Part IV: Duke Josip the Treacherous
Chapter XVII: Of The Split Resettlement
Galasso's obvious Italianization continued to irritate the duke profoundly. While being Croatian himself, all of Josip's provinces were mainly made up of Italian citizens, and with his son falling under their influence as well, he feared that he would not have the popular support for creating the Kingdom of Croatia. With the treasury filled with 3000 ducats, the duke decided to do something about it. In December of 1249 the Italian citizenry in Split was bribed to leave for Zadar and the holdings on the Apennine peninsula, and so the Croatian population gained dominance in the duchy's capital.
However, the cost of this project was 5000 ducats, and the treasury once again fell deep into debt. Over the course of the following year the fishery in Zadar, the mines in Split and Reggio, the forestry in the latter province, and the windmills and library in Napoli would all be sold to cover the expense. There was also not enough money to maintain the castle in Venezia, and most of it fell into disrepair, with only a small part of it being kept in use. The only construction done during this time were the projects that were started before the resettlement; the large church in Napoli, glassworks in Foggia, civilian harbor in Reggio and the small castles in Zadar and Split.
In the last days of the year 1249, it also became apparent that most of the population in Venezia had fallen under the influence of the Waldensian heretics.
Not wishing to agitate the Church by seeming to support this belief, Josip issued a series of decrees with which he greatly increased the power of the clergy in that province, and gave them permission to root out the heresy however they saw fit.
The year of 1250 saw the death of the duke's brother Slavac and his son Zdeslav from pneumonia. Another one of his sons, Zvonimir, finished his education at a monastery but had become only a fanatical priest, with little skills in any area. A change occurred on the council as the diocese bishop Vojnomir von Karnten passed away from old age, and was replaced by Tvrtko of Southern Ural, who had been the duke's spymaster during the crusading days.
In November news reached Split that Jerusalem was once again in the hands of an independent sheik, and that the pope himself had decided to lead an attack on it. Josip announced that he would return to the Holy Land and assist him. The treasury was still around 200 ducats in debt, and using the excuse of needing money for the crusade, the duke convened the estates general and craved a large contribution, gaining 1270 ducats in total.
But only the Split regiment was mobilized and set to travel to Jaffa, while these funds were used to finance the reconstruction of the mines in Split and Reggio, fishing wharf in Zadar, windmills in Napoli, as well as the building of a brand new naval harbor in Foggia.
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Oh, I am quite sure that Josip has reasons other than regret for this new jaunt to Palestine. Call me cynical ...
I think the Pope will be quite happy to have so pious a Duke along on his crusade... Might come in handy later *whistles*