9
Some roads lead to Rome faster than others
1489-1500
Nothing terribly exciting happens between 1489 and 1494. Poor uniforms... Heretical Trade research... Good old al-Mu'azzam III dies and a mediocre padishah takes his place, Tajd III (adm 3, dip 3, mil 7), he's quickly sent to lead the army in the hope that he fulfills his destiny...
Stability +3 is reached in April 1492. Algiers loses 2 provinces to Castille and Tripoli becomes independent. Aragon is seriously beaten by France, losing all her northern provinces and the Balearic islands. Hungary starts doing well and expands a bit, unsurprising when Austria leaves her alone.
Tajd III dies young, in 1494, although not in battle. The more capable al-Mu'azzam IV succeeds him.
Alexandria and Diamientia core in 1495. The chance of pressing a boundary dispute against the OE in Tabouk is taken, since a conflict with the OE seems inevitable anyway.
Later in 1495, seeing that Naples is being quickly overrun by Austria, I DoW the Neapolitans before there is nothing left to take. I had been eyeing Naples for quite a while, but their fleet being roughly the same size as mine had deterred me until now. I disembark 8,000 men in Apulia and chase an already exhausted army, although the land tech difference is noticeable in my slightly greater loses.
As soon as I can get Apulia in a peace deal I end the war, Naples reduced to an OPM. It is a long shot, I doubt Austria will let me keep an Italian province for long, but it's worth a try. The Ottomans decide to guarantee me at this point, maybe they are thinking it's a cheap way to get involved in a new war with Austria to recover their provinces...
Shortly after the peace with Naples Khiva attacks newly formed Shaybanid (rebelled from the TE a couple of years ago). Bad move as it triggers my warning on them and their allies desert them.
Mostly unfortified Khiva is swiftly overrun and divided between me, Khorasan and Shaybanid. Annoyingly Shaybanid overtook me asking for peace and taking most of Khiva's money
The conquest of Apulia has opened the 'Westernise' decision, so the next slider move is a no-brainer: innovative. It's a race against time, I need another 2 slider pushes before I can activate the decision.
In 1497 the OE finally gets tired of playing nice and warns me. If they want war now they'll have to DoW me though, I'm not going to attack them when they are at peace and 0 WE
I keep on using every diplomatic chance to raise my relations with Astrakhan, hopefully when the time comes they'll desert the Ottomans rather than me.
In 1497 the reformation starts in Naples. I bet the Pope blames my bad influence
Even with the Ottoman warning I can still expand and pile up BB if I want to, by annexing Persia
After more than 70 years a Master of the Mint finally shows up in court. He's immediately hired. With him and being at +3 stability I can even afford to reduce inflation a bit.
In 1499 a big tribal succession crisis erupts in Astrakhan. I send my cavalry to help out but in the end the pretender wins, which is just as well since he has more troops and better stats; he successfully diplo-annexes Nogai after only 2 months in power
I didn't reduce BB as much as I would have wanted this turn but I did some good consolidation. Government 9 will be reached in 1501 and with it I'll get to choose a second NI, most likely National Bank.
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Syria in 1500
Provinces: 39
At peace.
Allied with Astrakhan and Korashan. CB on OE.
Stability: +3
BB: 10.92
Monarch: Padishah al-Mu'azzam IV (8a/6m/5d)
Army: 34 (15/19/0)
Navy: 18 (0/0/9/9)
WE: 0
Neighbours
Mamluks: Allied with Hedjaz, Najd and Adal. CB on Syria. Guaranteeing Yemen and Iraq. Warned by OE, Syria.
Funj: Allied with Yemen and Swahili. Leads PU with Swahili. CB on Hedjaz. Guaranteed by Sokoto.
Algiers: Allied with OE, Durrani. CB on Castille and Fez. Guaranteed by OE. Guranteeing Yemen, Najd, Hedjaz, Fez and Oman.
Tripoli: Allied with Najd, Castille. CB on Syria. Guaranteed by Sokoto and Songhai. Warned by Syria.
OE: Allied with Bosnia, Serbia, Sibir, Algiers, Astrakhan. CB on Austria, Syria. Guaranteeing Yemen, Oman, Hedjaz, Syria and Iraq. Warning Georgia, Hungary, Novgorod, Yemen, Hedjaz, The Mamluks and Syria.
Najd: Allied with Yemen, Tripoli, Khorasan and the Mamluks. CB on Syria, Oman. Guaranteeing Iraq. Guaranteed by Oman, Algiers and Fez. Warned by Syria.
Iraq: No allies. CB on the OE, Syria. Guaranteed by OE, Yemen, Oman, Najd, Fez and the Mamluks.
Hedjaz: Allied with Oman, Adal and the Mamluks. CB on OE and Yemen. Guaranteed by OE, Algiers and Fez. Warned by OE, Syria.
Khorashan: Allied with Syria, Najd and Durrani. Guaranteeing Shaybanid, Chagatai, Kashmir, Durrani. Warning Shaybanid.
Qara Qoyunlu: Vassal of Astrakhan. Allied with Astrakhan. CB on OE, Syria, Astrakhan and Georgia.
Persia: Annexed.
Durrani: Allied with Khiva, Khorasan, Algiers and TE. CB on Syria. Guaranteed by Khorasan.
Khiva: Allied with Kazakh, Durrani and Kashmir. CB on Syria, Shaybanid, Khorasan and Deva Bengal. Guaranteed by Astrakhan. Warned by TE.
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The known world in 1500
The great powers of Europe have consolidated alarmingly fast. France and Austria should have a go at each other soon.
In the east Ming looks every bit as scary as Austria or France
We know who the big bullies are...
And the usual naval powers. Surprisingly Naples managed to keep all her fleet.
Inflation has put me on a very mediocre tech position. Austria is at Land Tech 15, the OE is at 10.