What if the Knights Colonized?

[Strategos' Risk]

This is for future reference for AARs and the like, either EU.

In my current Knights game, I’ve used the Pocahontas code several times in the beginning until Counterreformation Catholicism is an option. However, even after the Council of Trent, I’m still getting enough colonists to basically give me noncolonial provinces in:

The Sinai
Two provinces in South America
Four or five in North America
Tasmania
Three in Africa
Tahiti
One in Manchuria(!)

So I was wondering… historically, of course the Knights Hospitaller couldn’t have done anything like this. They weren’t even able to keep the Ottomans from taking Malta! So, ignoring the cost (yeah, I’m using the Montezuma code), how would colonization work story-wise?

I have +200 relations with the Vatican, as well as an alliance with them and several Italian city-states. One idea is that after the Knights did better than in history, they did something really special, like invade and recapture Jerusalem (like what I did), as well as several provinces in the Levant. After several years, and the threat of the Turk was staunched, the Knights sought to expand overseas. In order to populate these colonies, the pope sponsored colonization programs that would be made up of any families from the 8 langue nations (France, Auvergne, Provence, England, Aragon, Castile, Italy, Germany) who wished to benefit… some way or another.

Any have any ideas? How do you explain it when the Knights have taken over the world in your AAR?

 

[Underhand]

How do you explain it when the Knights have taken over the world in your AAR?

Just say a wizard did it

 

[Havard]

Actually, the Knight Hospitallers had colonies in the Caribbean in the 17th century.

 

[unmerged(6925)]

Colonies, particularly in the Americas, could be interpretted as Missions, Convents, Private Landholdings of Noble Order Members, or even Jesuit administration of native settlements. Considering them as direct colonies of the Order would definitely not be the way to go, in my opinion.

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Yeah, but a lot of my holdings are past level 6 colonies, they're actual cities, though not European-major status. They have thousands of people.

My original idea was the Vatican sponsored a resettling program to "spread the Word to the wilderness." Also, maybe the Order created a large auxillary army for Catholic soldiers (non-knights) who could have families.

 

[chegitz guevara]

So I was wondering… historically, of course the Knights Hospitaller couldn’t have done anything like this. They weren’t even able to keep the Ottomans from taking Malta!

You mean Rhodes, right? They did manage to keep the Ottomans from taking Malta, just barely, and by trickery, and because a Spanish fleet came to help them.

 

[DukeWilleo1630]

Yeah, but a lot of my holdings are past level 6 colonies, they're actual cities, though not European-major status. They have thousands of people.

My original idea was the Vatican sponsored a resettling program to "spread the Word to the wilderness." Also, maybe the Order created a large auxillary army for Catholic soldiers (non-knights) who could have families.

I'd take a radical religious bend to it if I was roleplaing the Knights taking over the world. Kind of like how Islam began and then spread like wildfire. I'd make it into a story a new sect of christianity starting on malta and shattering the fabric of the world. Once you've taken over everything, it will be like a Religious Empire.

 

[chegitz guevara]

Despite what their adherents would argue, both Protestantism and Islam exploded because of economic reasons. If you lived in the Arab empire, it simply made economic sense to convert, no more taxes. The Hospitalars were anything but economically liberal. They were pirates.

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Well, my particular game doesn't have the Knights taking over the world, though I've read at least two aars where that happened.

Mine just have them colonizing here and there. Perhaps the Knights, strengthened by the victory of retaking the Holy Land, seek out for new things besides healing the sick?

 

[DukeWilleo1630]

Despite what their adherents would argue, both Protestantism and Islam exploded because of economic reasons. If you lived in the Arab empire, it simply made economic sense to convert, no more taxes. The Hospitalars were anything but economically liberal. They were pirates.

The example I really wanted to use was the Word of Blake in Battletech. But not many people know about that

 

[unmerged(11496)]

Just say they spread the word very, very successfully. Converts; lost and lots of converts.

 

[Strategos' Risk]

Can someone give me info about the Knights' islands in the Caribbean?

 

[unmerged(36846)]

They weren’t even able to keep the Ottomans from taking Malta!

False. The Ottomans never took Malta. They sieged Malta in 1565 without success.

Actually, the Knight Hospitallers had colonies in the Caribbean in the 17th century.

False.

 

[unmerged(40258)]

False. The Ottomans never took Malta. They sieged Malta in 1565 without success.

didnt they in 1614?

 

[Havard]

Can someone give me info about the Knights' islands in the Caribbean?

I haven't got any links at hand now, but you could try a search for history information about e.g. the islands of St. Croix and St. Barthélemy...

 

[Birger]

No, they just raided Malta

 

[unmerged(36846)]

The Ottomans never captured Malta. The biggest deed they did was that of captivating all the people of Gozo (one of the islands of the maltese islands).

About colonisation , it wasn't exactly colonisation. The french governor of St.Croix, De Poincy, gave the islands to the knights of st.john; which only held for a few years. The islands were not colonized by any maltese people, just private estates of some aristocrats.

 

[Havard]

About colonisation , it wasn't exactly colonisation. The french governor of St.Croix, De Poincy, gave the islands to the knights of st.john; which only held for a few years. The islands were not colonized by any maltese people, just private estates of some aristocrats.

Pretty much like any other colonies in the caribbean

 

[unmerged(6147)]

How do you explain it when the Knights have taken over the world in your AAR?

Why not tell the truth, i.e. by careful attention to BB points and above all: skilful trading. Since that is the key to success in EU.

 

[unmerged(26209)]

In AGCEEP the knights gain Tripoli from Spain in an event. I don't know if that has any historical reason or not, but it might be worth mentioning.