CHAPTER TWENTY - CONSTANTINOPLAAR
07/07/1536
- After the death of our glorious Tsar Aleksandar I von Habsburg, our Empire was left big and strong, but yet rebellious and exhausted from wars. I, Wolfgang Spiller, as the regent of Serbian Tsarsdom have goal to maintain the order within the Empire until our Crown Prince become old enough to rule the Empire himself.
- My first order to Empire's generals was to contain and destroy all rebellions across the Empire, mostly in Greece, Northern Africa and Southern Italy.
- I also decided to reorganize Royal Army. After reorganization, Empire's generals gave me the full report about our Army and manpower. Our Army consists of nine Homeland Armies, each one numbering 15,000 troops. Every Homeland Army has minimum number of Cavalry troops of 2000, and Artillery troops of 2000, which means that the maximum number of Infantry troops is up to 11,000 per every Homeland Army. Besides these Armies, we field Sicilian Army in Southern Italy, also 15,000 troops strong, and African Army in Serbian Africa, also 15,000 troops strong. Our only colony in Africa has garrison of 5,000 infantry troops.
- Our generals also told me that we have 130,000 manpower pool. Since our Army is bigger than it's manpower pool, I gave orders for construction of various Army buildings across the Empire to enlarge our manpower pool.
23/05/1545
- During past 9 years, we increased our manpower, reorganized our Army, we also built roads and trade posts, ensuring our economical dominance in southern Europe. Few days earlier I got reports from my diplomats that Turkey has totally rebuilt it's economy and army. More important is that they have transfered their capital from Constantinople to ancient town of Antiochia, on the far south-east of their country. In light of new circumstances, I ordered our engineers to improve and upgrade forts in Thrakia and Gallipoli, not just for the safety of our Empire, but for the future wars with Turkey. I am sure that one of first goals of our young Prince (who will seize power for 2 years) will be to conquer Constantinople and to finish his father's mission. The geopolitical situation in Europe didn't changed much since the reign of our deceased Tsar ended. The main change is that our Russian allies finally got a foot on the shores of Baltic Sea and that they retook almost all their cores on Lithuania.
07/10/1547
- After 11 years of Regency Council, our Crown Prince Petar I von Habsburg, son of Aleksandar I, finally became an adult. After his coronation as the third Tsar of Serbian Tsarsdom, we immediately proceeded to work.
- Your majesty, I applaud you once again.
-- Thank you, Spiller. Look, I know you were my father's chancellor for many years and even decades, so I won't search for a new one. I just hope you didn't loosed your "touch" in all these years.
- I am certainly ready to serve von Habsburgs once again. Thank you, your majesty.
-- Prepare our Homeland Armies. We are marching to the East.
- Wow! Like Alexander the Great?
-- Is there a slogan hanging from my wall that I don't see? Something like "To the East we shall sail"?
- No, your majesty.
-- Then don't give me wrong ideas. Our direction is opposite. But, there is one more thing I want on the East, and it's on our border with Turkey. Now, prepare our arms and come again when we are ready to liberate Constantinople.
- Yes, your majesty!
11/12/1547
- Your majesty, our Army is ready. Only thing we are waiting for is your order.
-- Attack immediately. I want Constantinople in my hands no matter what happens.
- Our allies from Russia, Venice, Crete and Moldavia joined for our cause in this epic struggle.
- Our Armies are already besigeing Constantinople. Are you sure you want to take control of it no matter what? We might loose many soldiers.
-- The price of soldier's lives is nothing compared to the price of not having Constantinople. Attack it.
14/01/1548
- Your majesty, Constantinople is in our hands now.
-- Great. Now make peace with Turkey.
- I am afraid that's not possible.
-- What? Why?
- Because your majesty, we need to punch them really really hard to get Constantinople. After all it's their richest and most populous city.
-- Well punch them really really hard then.
- And how do I do that?
-- I don't know, you are my adviser, I'm not yours. Think of something.
- Shall we cross the Dardanelli?
-- Sure, do that.
21/01/1548
- Your majesty, we can't cross the Dardanelli.
-- Why? Don't we have some transports which can take our soldiers on the other side?
- Yes, but that's not the problem.
-- Then what is the problem?
- We can't cross it.
-- Oh, well I realized that. Why?!
- Their fleet is blocking our Army from crossing.
-- Then get our fleet sails raised and get those Turkish ships sunk.
- We can't do that.
-- Can you, once in your life, say why?
- Why.
-- What?
- Why.
-- Are you insane, Spiller?
- You told me to s..
-- Okay, forget it. Why we can't beat their Navy?
- Our Navy is three times weaker.
-- Why I wasn't informed about that earlier?
- You didn't asked, your majesty.
-- And now what?
- I don't know, your majesty. You are the Tsar. Think of something.
-- Just leave me alone now, will you. Come back in few days, I'll think of something.
05/02/1548
- Your majesty.
-- Hrrrhrrrhk..
- Your majesty?
-- Khhhrrm.. what?
- You told me to come. I came.
-- Do you have wife, Spiller?
- Yes, your majesty.
-- Then go and came in her. Leave me alooone.
- ...Your majesty, it's already noon. You really need to get up.
-- Just give me a minute.. hmprh. Now, WWW?
- Your majesty?
-- Where were we?
- Oh, I already thought your keyboard broke. We were at Dubrovnik, and we are now also in Dubrovnik. Our capital..?
-- I thought, what was the last thing we talked about.
- My wife.
-- Spilleeeer!!!! D-i-p-l-o-m-a-t-i-c-a-l thing?!
- Our Army's hold on Dardanelli.
-- Oh, yes. Look, I decided. We do have Military access trough Moldavia and Russia, do we?
- Yes, we do.
-- You will go and convince Jalayirids ambassador to give us access trough their country. Explain them the situation. It shouldn't be a problem, Turkey is their enemy.
- I already did that, your majesty. Are we thinking the same?
-- You are reading my mind, Spiller. Excellent!
- Great! So you also think we should send our exhausted armies to vacation on Caspian Sea? I think we will get along very well, your majesty!
-- You.. you.. you. No. No. And no. We will use that access to attack Turks from their rear.
- I see.
-- Now go and tell that to our generals. Send 60,000 troops to Georgia. When they reach their destination, let me know. In the meantime, let me sleep and defend our positions on the coast of Marmara Sea.
14/02/1549
- Your majesty, our troops reached Turko-Jalayirids border. What are your orders?
-- March and don't stop. Occupy as much as we can.
- As you say, your majesty.
-- Where there any problems on the trip?
- No, I reached Dubrovnik safely.
-- Not you. Armies who went to Georgia.
- Oh, they. They didn't had some serious problems, but we do lost 5,000 man because of the sharp winter on Caucasus mountains.
-- Any significant problems on the frontline near Constantinople?
- Turkish Armies tried to break our defenses few times, but they failed.
-- Good. Now, we will just wait until they give up what we want.
16/05/1550
- Your majesty, our Eastern Campaign is successful. Our Armies managed to occupy few Turkish towns, and we won decisive battle against last remnants of Turkish Army near the town of Sivas.
-- Excellent news. Now go and ask them to give us Constantinople, in the return for peace.
- Your majesty, are you sure you don't want to take anything else?
-- I am totally positive, Spiller.
- It's done.
-- Great. Now we can focus on our Western interests.
- Spain?
-- No.
- Italy?
-- No.
- Austria?
-- That's north, Spiller. No. Americas.
- Before we do that, I have some news. Some new, Anti-Pope block appeared among the Catholics. Their opinions are far more closer to Orthodox than Catholic ones.
-- Can we benefit from that?
- Not much.
-- Then I don't care. Raise our sails. Prepare our expedition for Americas. The news reached me that French and Portuguese already gained a foothold in Americas. And I almost forgot. I want newest, strongest and biggest Navy that we can afford. Start building it.
- As you say, your majesty.
28/10/1553
- Your majesty, our American Expedition reached the island of Ichirouganaim.
-- Ichiro.. what?
- Locals call it like it. It breaks your tongue, yes.
-- Then we shall call it Novi Kotor.
- That's far more better now.
-- Anything else?
- Yes. Our main conquistador, Luka Bojović explored the seas of so called Central America. We are certain that there is a huge amount of lands, but firstly we need to gain a foothold on those islands.
- Unfortunately, our conquistador Bojović died in an ambush. Locals killed him and few of his men, while he was exploring the huge island of Cuba. He did managed to establish a colony over there.
-- A sad news. We will call that colony Bojovićevo, in his honour.
