Why were all trade posts destroyed when I took over Genoa?

[jpinard]

Genoa had some nice trading going on with my counties in the South of France. But I noticed the lame duck Lombard King was ruler over them and thought that would be some sweet tax income I could grab if I became the new King of Genoa. I had no interest in messing with the Doge or the merchant families, but when I won my war with Lombardy for Genoa they disappeared along with all their trade posts. Why? And the trade routes with them.

I can't rebuild any trade routes, but I was able to make a new Merchant Republic. So was I better off leaving them alone? I'm worried they won't be able to make trade routes very fast and rebuild them back to profitability. They had like 7 trade cities, 2 of them with me before I took over the county. Will the extra tax revenue pay off? Is there any way I can help protect them from the other trade zones now suddenly encroaching on their old territory that got wiped out? They had all of Western Italy, Sardinia, Corsica, Sourthern France, and immediately a competitive trade zone started creeping up from the south. I read the wiki but it's short on details.

Thanks!

 

[Dragatus]

You can't really take over a merchant republic by force. They need both a county and a duchy level title to survive and if you take either one in a war it destroys the merchant republic. IIRC the construction time for a trade post is a year or so, so I expect 1 year + however long it takes the patrician families to gather enough money for a tradepost is how long it will take for them to get new trade posts.

The only thing you can do to directly protect them is to put an embargo on their rivals within your own realm. But that won't stop their rivals from building tradeposts elsewhere. Alternatively, you could indirectly protect them by also destroying rival merchant republics.

 

[jpinard]

Oh boy. Well I can give the Doge some money to help them out. The big question I have is, will this make more money for me in 10 years vs. having just left them alone?

 

[Dragatus]

I wouldn't want to depend too much on the AI doing the smart thing with it's money.

 

[jpinard]

I wouldn't want to depend too much on the AI doing the smart thing with it's money.

OK, that is an excellent point. Would you keep Genoa, or go back to a previous save before the invasion? (if you were in my situation).

And by the way - thank you so much for your help. It's been invaluable

 

[Shebaloso]

OK, that is an excellent point. Would you keep Genoa, or go back to a previous save before the invasion? (if you were in my situation).

And by the way - thank you so much for your help. It's been invaluable

But you said the genoese patricians were vassals under the lombard king? how leaving them alone would be profitable if they weren't paying taxes to you? Dude, the amount of money a republic makes is gargantuan. The tax bonus revenue for the trade posts pales in comparison to the money you are going to be making through burgher taxation. Just wait a little bit and they will be making new trade posts in no time.

 

[Dragatus]

You're welcome. I'd suggest to just continue. Even if rivals encroach into old Genoa territory, Genoa is still your vassal now so you'll profit from the income they do make rather than the Lombard king.

 

[Thrake]

If you have some coastal provinces, you might as well just wait to be bribed by a republic to embargo another republic... You get paid for just declaring war and a lump sum if you're successful. Rince and repeat; you can as well just embargo on your own from time to time to milk a republic that would control most of your coastal counties. Of course it works best if there are several republics around and none vassal of a major power.

Or you can just have your own republic for a safer and steady income, but it's less fun