Commerce, gunpowder and steel – An Eras Total Conquest AAR

[Inkie]

Greetings, fellow fans of ETC.

I decided to make an AAR of my Venetian campaign, which has been going well and has a good feel to it. The paucity of images is due to the fact that I only started composing the AAR later in the campaign, so I had to scrap around for them in older saves. Part 2 will be coming later. Hope you enjoy, please give feedback and comment

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

An account of the Doge Giovanni's actions 1506-1507, the war with France, and a brief recall of events prior to these.


Introduction:
Giovanni – later known as 'the lion' became Doge after his father's death in 1501. He acquired lordship of a stable republic, wealthy, technologically advanced and without any immediate enemies. His father's rule had seen the Venetians aggressively colonise practically all the islands of the eastern Mediterranean, and after the fall of Genoa, Venetian commercial supremacy was largely unopposed by other republics.



However, the young Doge would have to be careful: The Ottoman Empire may have reached its heyday, but the infidels were still a threat to the most Serene Republic's commercial interests, and the excommunicated King of France, while not actually at war, made little effort to conceal his plan to rule over the entire Italian peninsula.


Giovanni immediately set about securing alliances with nearby land powers, the lack of which had left the Venetian homeland and Dalmatian outposts vulnerable. A Holy league of Venice, Rome and the Kingdom of Hungary was formed against the Turks, with the objective of reclaiming Constantinople, and driving the heathens back across the Bosphorus. Most importantly, however, was the defensive alliance formed with Spain against the French.


After these diplomatic successes, the Doge set about building a powerful army with which to invade Greece. A national army was assembled, with 40 000 men gathered around Venice, and 20 000 more bound to arrive from the republic's colonial possessions. The invasion was undertaken, and was a stunning success: Being attacked by the Hungarians, the Poles and the Egyptians simultaneously, the Ottomans buckled, unable to organise anything but static, isolated defenses in Europe. The venetian councillor – Bartolomeo, of a rival oligarchic family – made a name for himself by bringing the tenth crusade to the gates of Constantinople, and capturing it. The city was handed to the Pope, and the long sieges which characterised the remainder of the war against the Ottomans, were nothing more than a nuisance, an extermination. Thus ended the Ottoman wars.


The north Balkans were now under Hungarian control, whereas all of Greece was controlled by Venice. Following the council of a Florentine exile, Machiavelli, the Doge encouraged his people to emigrate to Greece, thus alleviating the overcrowded capital (the plague of 1503 was still fresh in all of their minds). Through skilful propaganda, he helped to create a sense of Greco-Italian brotherhood, citing the achievements of ancient Greece and Rome, and how the 'commonwealth' of both would surely rule the known world.


The Franco-Venetian war of 1506:
Yet the celebrations that occured throughout christendom had not died down before an appauling event occurred: The greedy French king, not satisfied with his growing power in the Iberian peninsula and the British isles, had his armies invade the Papal state, defeating the shocked Papal army and capturing Rome, the Pope along with it:



The alliance between the Pope and Venice having been made in secret, Louis XII was unaware of the vulnerability of his flank: Giovanni immediately called to war all of his nobles, and the entire Venetian army – 80 000 strong – was brought together over the next two months. This army was also more multi-national than the one preceding it, with Germans, Spaniards, Hungarians and the expert Swiss also in Venetian service:



The French army of 50 000 paled in comparison to this mighty host, but this is when the young Doge took the greatest risk of his life: Perhaps not wanting the Councillor – widely, albeit silently acknowledged as the greater general – to gain another victory, he took the 30 000 men under his personal command and rushed south ahead of the rest of the army:



The rapidity of his assault surprised the French, but when they observed the relatively small size of his force, they immediately rushed to attack him, impetuous after their victory over the Papal army and disdainful of Italians in general. Giovanni, however, had placed his men on a large hill, knowing that his superior technology and the high morale of his Italians would be put to greater use in such a position. On his left flank, 3000 Spaniards under Teson, the lord of Biscay, would act as a buffer to one of the advancing French armies, bringing the strength of his immdeiate enmies down to 10000.


The plan worked marvellously at first, with the French suffering horrendous casualties while advancing up the hill, but then bad news arrived: The Spanish had melted awar in the face of superior numbers, and another force of 10000, under Bertin d'Albret, was moving quickly against the Doge's left flank. The French supreme commander, Galoys de Vesc, renewed his attack, forming his pikemen into a V-shape and ploughing into the Venetian center. Giovanni brought his reserves to bear against d'Albret and charged the disorganised enemy column, killing the latter and routing his men. He then swung around and charged the main body of the French, who had been emboldened by the arrival of a further 20 000 men, but who were fighting up hill, being bombarded by mortars, guns and crossbows, and were being charged by Knights on both flanks (it was characteristic of the Doge's luck that he charged at around the same time as his right flank cavalry). The frenchmen broke into a disorganised rout. Galoys de Vesc was too weak to attempt to rally his men: Having been pierced by scores of crossbow bolts, he succumbed to his wounds.


The French had lost nearly half of their force, with 10 000 dead and an equal number captured. The Venetians had also lost greatly, with a large number of nobles killed whilst holding the republican centre, their total casualties coming to around 5000. The Papal state was resurrected, and the Venetian army moved against the rest of the French king's Italian possessions, defeating the final French army of 15000 and preparing to invade the French heartland. This is where we enter the next phase of our story: While on his way north, the Doge stopped in Venice and proclaimed the 1st Venetian Empire, laying claim to substiantial portions of Italy and France. The Pope had little choice but to oblige.

[anonimo272]

there will be more ?

[Inkie]

I think I will eventually post it when I get round to it. Then again I havent gotten any feedback yet so Im not sure how people are finding it.

[anonimo272]

i am enjoying it !!!

[Inkie]

Glad to hear it

[jan_boruta]

Me too. I'm following this AAR with great interest

[Brotherblaze]

nice to see a AAR keep up the good work

[Inkie]

Hello all, I just learned that Week 10 of my term is void, so I thought I'd get part II done. Quite alot bigger than part I, so I hope you enjoy. If not, well I there's always constructive criticism

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Part II – The Savoie campaign of 1507



By Autumn, the Venetian war-machine was fully mobilised: Myriads of Galleys, Galleasses and Carracks were being churned out of imperial ports throughout the Mediterranean. Soon, as well as possessing the most prestigious and advanced army of Europe, the Doge also dominated the seas. He was quick to put this to effect: A large army was sent to conquer Corsica, thus stripping the French of their only naval base. In addition, an extensive series of blockades were imposed on all of France's Mediterranean ports, quashing any likelihood of the French shipping in troops from Spain and also impairing her financial capacity. Feeling supremely confident, the Doge and Councillor Bartolomeo undertook the invasion of France, crossing the Alps and making for Marseilles and Lyon respectively. Lyon fell quickly, defended by a weak force it opened its gates to the Venetians.



The Venetian marina del ovest and its blockade of the French coast:



The French king had meanwhile received word of the loss of his Italian possessions. Unfortunately for his people, the fat bastard preferred to waste away in Paris, entrusting the defence of his kingdom to Robin de Metz. This gentleman was a respectable general in his own right - immensely popular with his men – but ill-equipped to defend the south of France against both the disciplined Italian legions and Spanish marauders. Advancing from his home region down along the eastern bank of the Saône river, he sought to cross at Mâcon and recapture Lyon. Quite optimistic of him indeed: The Councillor was waiting for him across the river, cannons deployed. To Metz's east, a small Spanish force had cut off his supply line.



Positions for the battle of Mâcon:




The councillor, happily entrenched, prepared for a long and enjoyable cannonade: Conditions couldn't have been any better for the guns, and the French general had no artillery of his own, le Roi believing them dishonourable and unfit for the use of true Frenchmen. French casualties started to mount, as de Metz furiously wheeled back with half of his force to annihilate the Spanish. The latter, seeing such a mighty host heading straight for them, threw down their weapons and ran for the hills, but they were quickly captured by the French Gendarmes and put to the sword.
The Councillor could have attacked during this brief interval, but didn't feel that the French position had been sufficiently bombarded, and so continued for another half an hour.
Sensing that the French weren't going to attack, Bartolomeo sent in the Swiss detachment – his finest pikemen – and some crossbowmen to probe the enemy line.



The Swiss wade into the cold waters of the Saône:



The professional mercenaries advanced with the calm self-assuredness of true elites, defeating a charging group of knights and continuing forth:







They then engaged the enemy pikes in position on the eastern bank, suffering heavy casualties from enemy arquebus fire. They fought valiantly, and retired in good order when the Councillor re-called them.



French arqubusiers firing from the safety of the eastern shore:





Next up were the Landsknecht pikemen. These heavy-set Germans had a deep-seated rivalry with the Swiss, and in an effort to show themselves as superior, they lost their cool and advanced too quickly, breaking their formation and being overwhelmed by superior numbers of French pikes, despite the help of two Hungarian halberdier brigades the Venetian command sent their way. To be fair, however, these militias were poorly motivated, and lacked the élan and initiative necessary to outmanoeuvre a pike detachment.



Scenes of destruction after the defeat of the Landsknecht:






After this failure, the Councillor agreed to terms with de Metz: They would both retire for the season and do battle once more the next year. Both men of honour, they respected the agreement while the long and ignominious siege of Marseilles drew on, causing great frustration to the Doge: He had defeated a French army west of the city and let the 8000 prisoners go on the condition that they would march west, to Bordeaux. They agreed, then, like dishonourable commoner pigs they doubled back to the south-east and entered Marseilles before the Doge's slower army could reach it, bolstering the desperate French defenders and turning what was going to be yet another Venetian fulmine style assault into a long, dishonourable siege.
Worse-still for Giovanni, Bartolomeo the Conqueror – as he was now known in the capital – was about to fight another land-battle with his old foe. De Metz, having purchased some Ribaults from the Flemish – vassals to the French crown – had marched west around the Massif Central, now moving east to bring the fight to the Doge himself, unbeknownst to the latter of course. The Councillor, ever vigilant, had been informed of this by his private spy network, and moved south at a rapid pace, trapping de Metz on the Martigues peninsula:




The Councillor's force numbered 25 000 compared to de Metz's 20 000. The Venetians outnumbered the French in cannons, cavalry and guns, as well as being much more experienced. The French general's only advantage was the ferocity and superiority of his Gendarmes, as well as the huge number of pikemen he fielded, holding true to the French fighting doctrine. He accepted his fate and attacked in a compact formation, hoping to plough into the Venetian ranks and cause as much damage as possible.



The French war-host lumbers forth:




A duel of gentlemen. Gendarmes duke it out against the Lancia Spezzata:


The Germans disciplined volley-fire rakes the French pikemen and decimates their ranks:



His cavalry and infantry performed very well, inflicting surprising amounts of damage on their Italian adversaries.
Unfortunately de Metz himself was killed when his newly purchased Ribaults went off during inspection. This was successfully hidden from the men, who continued to fight until they were attacked on three sides, at which point they broke and fled further down the peninsula, thousands drowning in an attempt to cross the straits, the few survivors surrendering. It was a crushing, if somewhat predictable victory, with almost all 20 000 French troops dead.
Soon after, Marseilles fell in a gruelling yet heroic assault spearheaded by the Lancia Spezzata. Imperial Venice had consolidated its gains in France, and already Giovanni the Majestic was marshalling his troops to advance deeper into French territory. The year 1508 drew to a very optimistic close for the Venetians, already proclaiming themselves inheritors of the Roman Empire. This did not please the Kaiser in the slightest, and he watched the rich Italian lands to his south with envious eyes....

[anonimo272]

nice now will you face the kaiser and the french together ?? that would be cool

[Inkie]

Part 3, essentially a prologue to part 4. Same code as ever: If you are a gentleman, +rep me, if you are a villainous disgrace, remain silent, and if you are critical, criticise .

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Part 3 – The Eleventh Crusade, first phase


I will take a moment here to review the current status of the world in 1509, for our young empire only rose to its current status thanks to the skill of its leaders amongst very turbulent times. The next few years were relatively uneventful for the city, but shall be recorded nonetheless for the sake of continuity.


Doge Giovanni, one of our greatest leaders, albeit slightly vain and extravagant:



Councillor Bartolomeo, a model of piety and generosity in peace, and a military genius:




Europe in 1509:





In the North, the long war between the Holy Roman Empire and the Kalmar union was drawing to an end: Denmark had already fallen to the Imperial-German troops, and, with the monarch lacking an heir, it seemed inevitable that the union would soon collapse.


To the East, thanks to the magnanimous Doge's grant of land to the Pope, and the subsequent re-creation of the Eastern Roman Empire, Christian power was rising as a counterbalance to the long-standing Burji regional supremacy. The Ottoman Empire still dragged on, though since the moving of its capital to the Crimea, its few surviving enclaves in Asia Minor and the Balkans were largely independent. The Golden Horde was also reduced to a few small towns along the Black Sea coast, and was also destined to reach its end soon.


To the West, the Spanish were successfully re-conquering the north-east of their nation from the French, while the Portuguese were rapidly expanding their presence in the previously Hafsid domain of West Africa. The French themselves were still cooperating with the Scottish-Irish commonwealth to put down English nationalist resistance on the British isles, which kept them busy while our troops, along with the increasingly organised Iberians, annexed their southern outposts. We had free reign in the South after the battle of Martigues.


Just so: Toulouse soon fell to our troops, and after a victory over the French at Carcassonne, Narbonne fell also. The Spanish victoriously completed the reconquista and soon invaded France, capturing Bordeaux without a fight. The Doge himself captured Dijon, and Orléans soon after it. An ominous event was the appearance of several large German armies on the Dijonnaise border, a show of force the Doge was not impressed by.



The battle of Carcassonne:



German armies sending a clear message to the Doge:




For this reason, the peace treaty signed with France was a relatively lenient one so as to safeguard the chance of a possible future alliance: Recognition of Venetian conquests made so far, a tribute to be paid over the next few years, and allowing Venetian merchants to set up trade outposts in their territory. France would be useful as a buffer state against German expansion.


The terms of the treaty of Le Mans:




Having secured his Western flank, the Doge undertook the next great project of his life: He ordered the increase by one quarter of the Imperial-Venetian fleet, the creation of three new armies in Italy, the converging of all generals and their armies upon the capital city and the massive production of new, improved armour forged on a mass scale by the finest armour factory of Venice.



Rizardo de Mauro heeds the call to arms and returns from Corsica:




For the next four years, Giovanni patiently awaited the moment when he would become the saviour of Christendom by re-taking the Holy City from the infidels. Not only soldiers were being gathered for the expedition, however: Priests, merchants, spies, assassins, diplomats and swarms of other agents embarked, determined to further Venetian, Christian glory, or to become martyrs in the attempt.


The Imperial might of Venice, ready to be shipped off the Holy Land:



Most of the agents accompanying the fleet:




And so, in the winter of 1513, with 150 000 men at his disposal, Doge Giovanni I of the Venetian Empire launched the 11th Crusade against the dominions of the Burji Empire.


To be continued...

[The Despondent Mind]

Damn. THis mod is AAR friendly .

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Very nice work! I'm really liking the story

+rep

[Brotherblaze]

wow that was great continue please ! Thats alot of money you have in the treasury.

[Inkie]

I decided to delve into the realm of the subjective for this part. Enjoy!
@The Holy Pilgrim + Brotherblaze thanks guys. As for the money, thats how we roll in Venice

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

De Mauro's story, chapter I


I remember being asleep, in the cabin of my personal galley, and being rudely awoken by the barking of the marines on deck: Something was not right. I put on some extra clothing so as to appear befitting of my title, and went out to find out what was going on.

Immediately outside was a scene of chaos: The ship was barely remaining afloat, as the whole sea around us had been whipped up into a satanic frenzy. Indeed, it was pitch black save for the odd illumination we would receive from the thunder flashes. The men were struggling to keep her steady, doing a heroic job of navigating amongst the waves, until one wave caught us off guard with the result of my being drenched in sea water. My respect for the men immediately vanished and soon I was barking orders myself and beating some of them in the vain hope that they would do a better job. To our right, we discerned two other ships, one Carrack and a galley, the white sails of the former billowing amongst the darkness. Suddenly a wave taller than any I had so far observed rose above them, and in its fury forced the Carrack into the right flank of the Galley. The latter vessel was crushed amidst a great cry of horror between the two crews and the splinter of wood, after which it sunk into the abyss. I stared on, aghast, before hurrying into the confines of my cabin. I kneeled on the soaked timber and prayed to God for our salvation for what seemed like days, falling over a few times due to the mad rocking of the ship, and finally, was rewarded.

“Land ho!” Cried the captain. I peered out across the deck: In the distance loomed an ominous, featureless coastline. I thanked God for having brought us to Terra Firma, and soon we were unloading our supplies onto the sandy shores, soaked and shivering, but glad that we were still alive. The sun was rising to the East, and immediately I realised something was awry: Why was it rising to our left? Unless we were in an impossibly large alcove, it would appear as if we had been altogether waylaid from our original destination.

That was, however, irrelevant. What counted was that I assemble what was left of the fleet and the army, attempt to find out where I was, and where the other armies hand landed, provided they had been more successful than us. I looked around at the men. Some were setting up tents to get a bit of rest, others were simply lying on the sand. There were less of the crewmen than before: It would appear as though some had fallen overboard. My personal retinue had all made it, however. I looked into the horizon, and noticed some white sails amidst the gloom of dawn, headed our way. I summoned one of my attendants, a squire named Lorenzo. An energetic Pisan, he was good at his work, and had been of great use in Corsica.
“My lord?” he inquired, struggling in the sand to the hillock I had positioned myself on.
“Lorenzo.” I said calmly, “you are in a state most ungentlemanly, and resemble more a beast than a soldier of God and of Empire. Arrange yourself properly, we are Italians, not a disgraceful mob of Englishmen.” I watched with some satisfaction as he brushed himself off self-consciously. “Now” I continued, “open the wine and have the men rest for a few moments, and bring me some meat. This won't do.”
He nodded. “We are not setting up camp, my lord?”
“No. The rest of the fleet will be arriving along the coast. We must regroup at once and head East: Send our best riders in both directions with orders to assemble one hundred kilometres in that direction.”
“Understood, my lord.”
“And Lorenzo...”
“Yes, Signori?”
“Put a helmet on. Your hair is blond and is the work of Satan. I am the Duke of Genoa and I will not tolerate such nonsense.”

The man nodded, bowed and walked off back down the hill. I closed my eyes and awaited the inevitable: Groans soon emanated from the makeshift camp on the beach. Protests were made, but the men weren't in such a desperate state that they didn't understand the importance of our mission. Emboldened by wine, they were soon reminded of the holiness of our crusade, and filled with that sense of urgency that only faith can inspire. The horses had not been too frightened by the storm, thank God, and were in a good enough state to be mounted. Soon, after enjoying a quick meal, we were marching east, into the distance, embalmed by the light of the rising sun, prepared to do justice in the name of the lord and to resurrect the Kingdom of Heaven.




De Mauro's forces, hopelessly scattered across the Libyan coast:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Baiamonte's story, chapter I


Antonio Baiamonte stepped confidently from the confines of his flagship. Flanked by two well-armoured guards, he paced up the beach - his lavender cloak billowing behind him – to where a stallion awaited him. Servants and soldiers scurried about, gathering into thirds and preparing to leave. He had made it clear before leaving that they were the ones who would first enter the Holy City. God had smiled upon him, and had ensured that the Baiamonte fleet arrived first on the shores of Jerusalem. Having been assigned to the home army for a decade had only increased his natural and vehement disgust of the ruling Grimani and Mocenigo: His own family could trace their lineage back to the foundation of the republic. Baiamonte prestige would be restored by such a mighty conquest and things would be returned to the old ways. The foolishness of Empire would be abolished and the city would return to its republican, isolationist values.

He could not be described as an angry man, but he did tend to cast an imperious shadow over any conversation, and saw little need for pleasantries and small-talk. This was only exacerbated by his frustration of having been forced to waste his skills in Venice whilst the command of armies went to others. But it was certainly true that his arrogant, self-entitled demeanour was complemented by a great skill at arms, a certain, conservative sense of chivalry and a healthy amount of loyalty to Venice. Having stopped briefly in Cyprus, he was made aware that the Doge himself, Giovanni of the Grimani, as well as his councillor, Bartolomeo Mocenigo, were hot on his tail, and he would have to move quickly if he were to benefit from this vainglorious expedition. This is precisely what he did: It was well-known to his men that idleness was punishable by fifty lashings in the army of Antonio Baiamonte, therefore those beneath him always made themselves active, even when he wasn't present. Within two hours, he had 28 000 men assembled and marching East, towards Jerusalem. His two rivals would arrive shortly after him. The others, he knew not of, although he didn't really care seeing as they were not much of a threat to him anyway: He was indifferent as to whether or not they had been finished off already.

For the next few days, he and his men marched through this strange, mysterious land. The place was barren, and was not the way he had previously imagined the Holy Land to be. Bandits continuously harassed them and attempted to hamper their logistics, cutting down stragglers and stealing baggage. There was little they could do about it, however, and luckily the men's zeal kept discipline at a consistent high during the trip. It was in the evening of the 11th of November when he arrived within sight of the city. The uproar was immediate among the ranks, but he sensed a trap. As such, he entered battle formation and had his men advance slowly, sending scouts in all directions.

He was right. His scouts intercepted the vanguard of a large Saracen force marshalling in defence of their territory:





After a rousing speech to the men, he sounded the advance. The Saracens had been waiting, ready to attack the crusaders from different angles, but by their surprised manoeuvres, it appeared as though they weren't expecting such a sudden assault. They outnumbered the Imperial army almost two-to-one, but Baiamonte was confident of his troops' superiority. He was prepared to sacrifice large amounts of them, for capturing Jerusalem was all that truly mattered to him. The Burji hosts advanced towards him in a great mass, formed of three 'waves', as well as an additional flanking detachment. He had deployed a portion of his army to hold this force back, and used an old 'chequerboard' deployment strategy, imitating those the Romans and his forefathers proudly used. The Egyptians sent a screening force of archers ahead of their main body, which proceeded to pin down Venetian forces under a continuous barrage of arrows, and with impunity seeing as they were out of arquebus range. Antonio sent forth his knights to run them down, which they did, pursuing them into the enemy ranks. The knights also had the brains to turn around and return to allied lines when they were on the verge of being cut off, which left Antonio positively impressed.



The calm before the storm:








Antonio prepares his men:



What happens when you're annoying:






And thus, under the orange skies of sunset, the battle commenced as cannon-fire was furiously exchanged between the two forces and the first wave of Saracens charged fearlessly into the crusader ranks. These were primarily ill-equipped light troops and impetuous noble cavalry, neither of which managed to break the invincible Italian pike-wall:









Soon, however, they were supplemented by heavier troops, and a desperate, albeit static, mêlée ensued:














This was only decided by the victory of Baiamonte's flank detachments which tore into the Muslim ranks and utterly routed them:












The battle of Jerusalem left the city completely helpless and Burji troops scattering in all directions. The price, however, was horrendous, and Antonio had to spend hours re-organising his force before it would march again:





By this time, he realised it was too late: The dog Giovanni had bypassed the battleground and entered the city unopposed, stealing the victory the Baiamonte family had long deserved. For the next few days, Antonio was furious, and refused to even meet the Doge: The insult had been too much. His men tried to reason with him, to tell him that it was only symbolic, and that they had won the true victory. The fools. If their names meant anything, they would have understood that the surface was what mattered. A man who had won a meaningless battle without reaping any specific benefits was just a blood-soaked fool, whereas he who successfully out-manoeuvred his foes was seen as the embodiment of Venetian skill and mercantile prowess. This is why, the day after the heroic battle outside Jerusalem, Antonio Baiamonte swore he would have revenge on those who had insulted his family's honour.

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Great work! I love what you did with the naval forces. Very nice twist of things

[Inkie]

My recent posts have been quite picture-heavy. Tell me if you prefer it this way or liked it more before (ie. more focus on the text).

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The battle of Jerusalem was the first and bloodiest episode of a string of crusader victories over the disorganised Burji armies. The Venetian standard was borne triumphantly to the gates of Antioch in the North, and to Gaza in the south. Everywhere Venetian soldiers spearheaded crusader assaults, sending the heathens fleeing before them time and time again. All they had on their side was the weight of numbers. The Doge, however, was as generous as he was wise, and distributed territory evenly between those who aided his Imperial cause, keeping only Acre for himself. He did make it clear, however, that he wished to take over the Egypt from Gaza onwards. He re-called the Councillor from Antioch, sending a fleet to transport his army, but with Baiamonte's half-wrecked army skulking in Acre and still no word from the armies of De Mauro,Luca and Alessandro, Giovanni was left to invade the Burji dynasty's stronghold alone.
Studying Burji armies it was not surprising they were consistently defeated initially: The huge size of the Burji dominions was imposing, but their military was long past its peak efficiency. They would use swarms of light infantry (Kurds, Arabians and Sudanese) and light cavalry to steadily weaken the enemy before charging with their Mamluks and Tabardariyya. The latter troops were fearsome, and when they were present in great numbers, they wrought havoc upon Crusader armies, but this was not often the case. Accompanying their armies were often small contingents of gunners and bombards. These were mainly composed of the Burji urban-class: Primarily ethnic Egyptians. Although weaker than their Venetian counterparts, they were still a substantial threat. Add to this the huge numbers of their armies and you have a serious enemy not to be underestimated.


Reeling from the defeat at Jerusalem, the Mamelukes set up a new line of defence at Gaza:



The Renaissance-era Venetian army in all its glory:






More battles:















Javelins against arquebus':









The once-mighty Mameluke charge is also defeated:






To these men, nothing seemed impossible:



Outside Antioch, the Councillor won one of his finest victories:




Pike and shot vs spear and javelin:









Also, a new army, although led by a minor noble, had arrived in Egypt and besieged Damietta:





Unfortunately, to underestimate is what the Venetians did. Everything seemed to be going too well, until such disdain and complacency was soon uprooted in a series of Egyptian counter-attacks. Acre was besieged:


De Mauro's ragtag force was caught in a pincer movement outside Alexandria:




Two Egyptian armies crossed the Bosphorous and lay siege to Thessalonica:




And worst of all, the passing of a hero:





The Doge fell not in battle, as would be expected of such a bold leader, but to the foul plagues that tormented the land.


Antonio di Baiamonte proclaimed himself the new Doge of Venice, and he immediately declared the 2nd Republic, annihilating what hopes there were of Venice intervening on behalf of the French, whose continental territories were in the process of being swallowed up by the vengeful Spanish and greedy Imperials:





The survival of the Republic was at stake: If Greece were to fall, there would be nothing stopping the infidels from gaining a foothold in Italy, and laying foot on the sacred soil of Veneto. With the new Doge under siege in Acre, no communication or coordination could be established between the active Republican field-armies, and the situation in Greece was essentially hopeless...

[Brotherblaze]

I enjoy the large amounts of pictures it adds color and also keeps me more interested than I already was. Hmm I wonder if Spain will soon be a problem of yours ?

[anonimo272]

great !!!! this will be the end of the 2nd empire of venice ????
i cant wait to see...

[The Holy Pilgrim]

Great update! I'm loving the campaign so far. The events in the Balkans will prove to be quite interesting

[Inkie]

Hello guys,

Sorry for the lack of updates recently, I was in Glasgow this week and couldn't continue my game, but thats sorted now. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 5:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Di Baiamonte ordered all armies save one to retire from Egypt, board their ships and sail for Greece. The last army remaining there would defend Gaza with the help of local troops loyal to Spain. The retreat was viewed by many as dishonourable, but the generals understood the situation: Supplies had been running low and the enemy were bringing up reinforcements rapidly. The Venetian position had been becoming increasingly unstable, and this was not only true of Egypt but also of the Levant, for revolts had broken out in Acre against the 'infidels'. Therefore, for them, the retreat was actually a respite: Fighting in Greece, close to home and away from the harsh desert landscape of the East seemed like luxury. Rizardo de Mauro especially enjoyed this, and he was the first to land in Greece. By then, however, the situation had worsened: The 2nd Roman Empire had been totally crushed by the Islamic hordes, and Thessaloniki had fallen. The Hungarians were mobilising, but they appeared slow and indecisive for now. The brunt of the fighting would once again have to be borne by the Venetians.


The fall of Thessaloniki and a rough outline of the Burji Empire at it's greatest extent (campaign map):



Not all was going wrong in the Holy land, however: Jerusalem may have come under siege by the Egyptians, but this was counterbalanced by Luca's stunning victory near Damascus. An Egyptian force entrenched on a strong, hilly position and strong in artillery, was outmanoeuvred and annihilated, with the loss of under 200 men. The enemy suffered 8000 dead, and practically all of the remaining 16000 were rounded up and captured (it is important to note that, even after such a martial triumph, Luca's affectionate or derisive nickname 'the poet' remained with him, much to his chagrin). This battle showed one thing: Local Burji troops had begun to fear the Venetians and were reluctant to face them. Even the elite Tabar-bearers did not account well for themselves.



The poet's battle:










Damascus was captured shortly afterwards. Better still, the Doge's old army defeated the infidels besieging Jerusalem, and proclaimed Tusco de Recho their new leader.
In Italy, the Smiths and barracks had once again worked themselves into a frenzy: Troops were being assembled to strike at the Burji's holdings in Africa, these being much closer to Italy than the Holy Land. Also, the Republics Portuguese allies would be able to support them there.
In France, the rebellious Frederico gathered a small force and made to attack Angers. This man was an avid Imperialist who found di Baiamonte's political antics disgraceful, and he would not sit and watch while the French Valois were engulfed by foreigners. He captured the fortress and sacked it, while the last Valois stronghold of Caen fell.



Rough fighting outside of Angers, in one of the last battles fought by the Kingdom of France:






The French king Francis I died defending the city, and his British dominions instantly rebelled, killing their French lords or forcing them into exile. The restored Kingdom of England was short-lived, however: The Kaiser sent forth his innumerable minions and swiftly conquered southern England, coming to a halt at the Scottish border between Nottingham and York.

The Balkan campaign, phase 1:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

At first, in October 1514, the Burjis had their forces divided. They were attempting to wrest control of the heavily fortified Adrianople from the Salihan Emirate, an Ottoman splinter-kingdom, and had dispatched over 80 000 men to besiege it:






Once they received word of the Venetian landings to the south (70 000 men) they quickly diverted all of these forces to amass around Thessaloniki, promising a hard fight to any Republican commander eager to make a name for himself:







Such a man, however, was Alessandro, who was the senior commander in charge of the Greek theatre of war. Unfazed by the presence of nearly 150 000 Burjis to his north, he sent forth Rizardo to deal with an enemy avant-garde of 18 000 men, which the man promptly did:








Meanwhile, he took his own, 'virgin' army West to intercept two columns of an Egyptian force numbering 50 000 (presumably headed to Durazzo). The commander of these 50 000, Mustafa, a Burji family member, was killed in the first battle, and the second battle finished off this force completely:





The two forces line up in the darkness illuminated only by their myriad torches:



Spanish arquebusiers in Republican service take aim:



Blinded by their faith, the Burji host marches into a trap:






The second victory:




Marching back East, where Rizardo had done an admirable job of bottlenecking the Egyptian horde, Alessandro attacked an elite Saracen force, composed primarily of Mamluks, and utterly destroyed it:










His men now thought themselves invincible, having so easily overcome three Muslim armies, and marched eagerly on towards Thessaloniki.