Chapter IV: 3rd of April 1499 till 3rd of June 1517
Margareta was ecstatic when she received a report of how Antoon Van Leeuwergem was progressing. Margareta was able to let Portugal grant fleet basing rights to Flemish ships before Antoon left Flanders. But these basing rights were expensive. The solution came when Antoon discovered a native kingdom called 'Kongo'. They allowed to let Flemish ships be repaired in their dockyards, against a much humbler price.
The real accomplishments of Antoon were the discovery of West Africa and Kongo near Central Africa. After the fleet basing rights were accepted from Kongo, a second journey was made in which Antoon discovered the edge of Africa, which he called 'Kaap de Goede Hoop', or translated 'Cape of Good Hope'.
The third expedition uncovered the east side of Africa, and also uncovered an island called 'Madagascar'. After that, Antoon decided to recover in the Kongolese ports and was awaiting new orders. Despite Flanders not having enough colonial range to start a colony, Margareta hired a navigator to increase the colonial range with 20%. The Flemish treasury had a big deficit now, but this enabled Flanders to find a first colony, at Beafada. And on the 13th of December 1503, the colony was founded. The navigator was no longer needed and was fired. With no natives present at the colony, there was no risk of a native uprising.
Meanwhile in Europe, France had declared war on England when the first explorer started his journey, and England was getting stomped very badly at their homeland, being half occupied by the Scottish and half occupied by the French. In the end, England had to cede two provinces to Scotland again, and gave France Caux and Somerset. Wales was independent again, and Margareta hoped this would enable Flanders to invade England as well. London is rich and is providing most trade power of all in the English Channel. There is no use to owning the whole world: when you can't dominate your own home node, you're doing it wrong.
And later, in the year 1509, terrifying news spread across Europe: The Protestant Reformation occurred in Scotland, defying all power of the Pope and the Catholic Church. They started their own national church, and Scotland was lost to the infidels forever.
But that was the opinion of most European courts. Margareta knew being different and being independent from the Church could provide special benefits, and so she decided to convert to Protestantism. A Center of Reformation was founded in the capital Brugge, and Austria and England were not amused...
Soon after, Brandenburg, Bohemia, Saxony and more converted to Protestantism, and the HRE was getting divided even more.
5 years later, on the 2nd of August 1514, Beafada became a proper city and colony of Flanders. Margareta knew that the Ivory Coast trade region was the most important region to get a hold on, because from there on all trade from Africa, India and Asia flows through there to Europe. As a result, the Gold Coast with a trade centre was getting colonized first. An army would be needed to guard the colony against aggressive natives.
An army consisting of 3000 infantry, 1000 cavalry and 1000 artillery was sent to Africa, and was led by the conquistador Hans Van Bellegem.
With an army based in Africa, the Flemish force limit was reached. In a war, more troops would be needed and manpower is short. Therefore, the administrative idea group was unlocked to provide Flanders with more and cheaper mercenaries when necessary.
Europe was turning more and more Protestant, and when Austria gave Gelre an Electorate, our only possible expansion target, Margareta was furious (once again).
The frustration about Austria became too much for her: she murdered her Austrian husband before killing herself. They were found death in their room, with their wrists being cut on the 3rd of June 1517. Her heir, Margareta V Jaworski (6/2/3) would lead the country into a new age of exploring and religious turmoil. She would be succeeded by her son, Boudewijn (1/5/4).
Margareta is dead, long live Margareta.
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