EU3 MMP2 Succession Game

This is a discussion thread for the EU3 MMP2 Succession Game.

Setup:
EU3 w/ both expansion packs
Magna Mundi Platinum 2 mod v1.15 w/ Hotfix

Rules:
Each player will play until his regent dies, whether that be 50 years or 50 days.
No reloading except for normal, "I have other things to do than playing this game" reasons. Setbacks are what make this game fun.
It is highly encouraged that at the end of each turn, the player post at least a brief summary of the events of their reign.
Normally in games like these there's a rule about not exploiting the AI. However, MMP2 is generally so difficult that I'm not too concerned about that. Do whatever you want, as far as I am concerned.

List of Players:
TinCow
CountArach
Monk
Warluster

Ok... so first things first, what nation should we play?

I'd prefer to avoid a major nation but something larger than a OPM might be a good idea due to likelihood of instant-annexation in the beginning. I almost always play in Europe, but I'm open to anything.

I've never played as any of the Italian states in MMP2 but it could prove interesting. If we didn't want to commit the resources to micro heavy Genoa or Venice (both need to watch out for Crimean/Ottomans swallowing up their enclaves) then perhaps Naples might be a fun game?

I must admit, I am very biased. I love playing games where you form a bigger nation. In that light, Teutonic Order might be interesting (if very hard), i've never played them in MM.

Those are both interesting suggestions. I've played in Italy more than any other spot, personally, but I've always done it as a Northern Italian power. Never experienced the game as Naples, which would be very different due to their not being in the HRE. Teutonic Order is also a very interesting idea. Another option that springs to mind that seems to be similar to those is Georgia. (I assume we're talking about the normal 1453 start date?)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinCow

Those are both interesting suggestions. I've played in Italy more than any other spot, personally, but I've always done it as a Northern Italian power. Never experienced the game as Naples, which would be very different due to their not being in the HRE. Teutonic Order is also a very interesting idea. Another option that springs to mind that seems to be similar to those is Georgia. (I assume we're talking about the normal 1453 start date?)

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I normally don't play in Europe, truth be told I love the Rus steppes and Sengoku-Japan too much to be bothered with European politics! :laugh4: But i'll go where is agreed upon, and Italy seems very interesting with the many different states to be fought and brought to heel. :skull:

I've always started in 1399, but 1453 would be fine - it still leaves plenty of time to play.

Ok, if CountArach has no objections, we'll make it Naples. I'll wait for him to chime in first though.

Wish I had the game, so I could dive in (would need to check price, etc first). However, good luck you guys. :thumbsup:

Is it possible if I could join? I own EuIII and the two expansions.

Naples is fine by me... except that don't they start controlled by Aragon? That would make it rather boring to play. Also we should start 1453 IMO because that's what MMP is balanced for.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Warluster

Is it possible if I could join? I own EuIII and the two expansions.

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Certainly, but I highly recommend playing a few games with MMP2 before your reign starts in here. The mod is VERY different from the vanilla game, and it takes a while to learn.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CountArach

Naples is fine by me... except that don't they start controlled by Aragon? That would make it rather boring to play. Also we should start 1453 IMO because that's what MMP is balanced for.

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I agree that 1453 is generally the best start for MMP. For Naples, I agree that being in a Union would be annoying at the start, particularly for the first player. I just checked and we can avoid a Union if we start in December 1434 or July 1458. Since December 1434 is with a monarch who has been on the throne 20 years, that's likely to be a very short first reign. So, I'm inclined to go for July 1458 as the start date.

Any objections?

July 1458 sounds good to me.

Alright, I'll get this thing rolling and do the first reign today.

Alright, I have completed the first reign. My king died in September 1480. I will post the write-up with the save game this afternoon.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinCow

Alright, I have completed the first reign. My king died in September 1480. I will post the write-up with the save game this afternoon.

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:thumbsup:

Kudos for getting the ball rolling TC.

Who is up next? If we go by join/interest shown, CA is up next with me at number 3 and Warluster bringing up the rear (for now).

Any objections to that rotation?

I agree with that rotation. If other people join in, they can be added on to the end. When we hit the end of the list, we're cycle back around to the beginning until the time limit is hit or we get tired of playing. Getting to work on the write-up now...

The Kingdom of Naples

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...Naples/map.jpg

On 27 June 1458, Afonso V of Aragon died. His illegitimate son, Ferrante, inherited the Neapolitan throne and the Kingdom was independent again for the first time in nearly 2 decades. Ferrante I was a strong King, skilled in most areas of governance.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/2.jpg

Yet, as he surveyed his Kingdom, there was relatively little to be proud of. Naples controlled all of southern Italy, but the land and the peoples were much poorer than their northern cousins. The cities were smaller, less developed, and there were no universities to speak of. Despite its size, Naples was not a great power, indeed it was poor and without friends. Naples specialized in Shrewd Commerce Practices, the king was a Patron of the Arts, and the nation had enacted Military Drill. These policies were all useful, but they were disorganized and did not clearly indicate a path to more advanced ideas.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/1.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/4.jpg

Naples had a massive coastline, making it supremely vulnerable to pirate raids, but it had no naval tradition to speak of, not even a single anchorage. Her navy was decent, but assembling a larger force would be difficult. The army was almost non-existent.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/3.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/5.jpg

The single most significant aspect of the world, as far as Ferrante I was concerned, was the Aragonese possession of Sicily and Malta. Naples retained strong claims on these lands, and re-uniting them with the Kingdom was an absolute necessity if Naples ever hoped to be able to exert influence in the northern Italian lands. Yet, there was no obvious way to regain those lands. Aragon remained strong, with an alliance to Portugal. Even Castille guaranteed Aragon's independence, making an aggressive war against Aragon suicidal.

So, Ferrante I decided to bide his time. He would invest in the economy of his Kingdom and do all he could to make it stronger... all the while waiting for Aragon to make a mistake. The local nobles felt that Ferrante I should form an alliance with Aragon, but he laughed at such a notion and simply ignored it.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/6.jpg

Ferrante immediately doubled the size of the Royal Army, keeping a standing force of 6,000 men. This was sufficient to suppress any rebellions that would occur as well as to deal with wars against minor Italian powers. Within a year or so, Ferrante I had sufficiently improved the government to add a new focus to his policies. After great deliberation, he chose to create Engineer Corps.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/7.jpg

This was not an ideal choice, for it did not benefit the economy, or alleviate the naval weakness of the nation. However, such a policy meshed well with Patron of the Arts and Military Drill, allowing his successors to freely pursue the more advanced scientific and military ideas, if they so desired. In this way, Ferrante I sacrificed short-term interests for the long-term good of his nation.

On the diplomatic front, an alliance with Tuscany was formed, and a formal warning was sent to Aragon. Should the Aragonese ever engage in aggressive warfare, Naples would be well-placed to regain Sicily and Malta.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/8.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b...3/Naples/9.jpg

As Ferrante turned his attention to domestic improvements, there was both welcome and unwelcome news. On the positive side, the Renaissance was finally reaching southern Italy...

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/10.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/13.jpg

...but the piracy that Naples was ill-positioned to control finally showed itself.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/11.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/16.jpg

It was not long before news arrived that foreign nations were expelling their Jews. With congregations of Jews in several Neapolitan cities already, Ferrante I decided to offer them refuge in Naples. He believed the economic benefits they would bring in the long-run out-weighed the unrest their presence would cause.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/14.jpg

The affairs of Europe outside Italy bothered Naples relatively little during the reign of Ferrante I, but there was one notable exception in 1460. Provence declared independence from France.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/15.jpg

This was significant, as the ruling house of that nation held strong claims to all Neopolitan lands. While they were a weak nation, they would have to be watched in case they ever decided to try and exercise those claims. That prospect could not be ignored, as even the Neopolitan nobles were acting uppity and demanding privileges.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/17.jpg

By the end of 1462, Ferrante I had finished his economic reforms. This had begun with re-directing the nation's policies to favor the market economy. Without any local centers of trade, and with no prospects of gaining one any time soon, Neopolitan traders would be in foreign markets. Thus, the benefits of a moral economy would be wasted on them.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/12.jpg

Ferrante I then established a strong Neapolitan trade presence in Venice, raised taxes to Very High levels in all provinces, and decided to begin minting coinage at a rate that would increase inflation by 0.1% per year. Such a level of minting would greatly aid the treasury, without crippling the nation by high inflation in future years. The result of these reforms was a surplus income of over 40 ducats per year. This money was badly needed for economic investment and piracy defenses.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/19.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/20.jpg

Around this time, Navarre offered an alliance to the King. Ferrante I laughed the Navarrese diplomats out of his court. Such an alliance could offer nothing to Naples but trouble. Yet the Navarrese were nothing if not persistent. They returned 5 more times with the same offer throughout Ferrante I's reign, all of which were similarly rebuffed.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/18.jpg

In 1463, the Pope made war on Urbino, in an attempt to unite his Italian possessions.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/24.jpg

Ferrante I cursed himself for not having warned the Pope against such a move, as this would have been the perfect moment to attempt to capture Rome itself. The northern Italian nations united against the Pope and he was inevitably defeated. Urbino actually gained Romagna in the subsequent peace treaty, though it was later returned to the Pope through diplomatic means. Ferrante I warned both the Pope and the Urbinese against future aggression, purely to give Naples an excuse to annex their lands in such an eventuality.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/28.jpg
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/29.jpg

Shortly thereafter, Ferrante I at last convinced the Venetians to agree to an alliance. He had attempted to make such an agreement for over a year, but the Doge had been very stubborn. With the Venetian and Tuscan alliances, Naples had strong allies to aid it in Italian affairs. A trade agreement was also made, to reduce the risk to Neapolitan merchants in Venice itself.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/26.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/37.jpg

With the position in Italy strengthened, Ferrante I turned his attention back to Aragon. Ferrante dispatched his flatulent cousin to the Aragonese court, where his actions were inevitably seen as an insult. The nobles were also asked to re-think their mission of an alliance, and they responded with a far more sensible mission.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/30.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/43.jpg

With relations now sufficiently low, war with Aragon was not likely to cause much instability. All the while Naples was slowly growing stronger. The income generated by Ferrante's economic reforms was re-invested in the country. Artisan Workshops were built in every province, an Anchorage was constructed in Naples, and a Provincial Accountant was constructed in Calabria.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/23.jpg
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/50.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/55.jpg

In addition, attention was devoted to combating piracy. Limited Provincial Defenses were organized in all provinces, and a Limited National Defense Plan was enacted throughout the entire Kingdom. While this worked relatively well to combat local piracy, the Barbary Pirates themselves were harder to contain. They raided Neapolitan provinces every few years, but aggressive diplomatic action by the King resulted in cash payments by the Barbary states that went a long way towards making up for the damage done.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/34.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/49.jpghttps://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/54.jpg

As the years went by, Ferrante I began to get restless about the lack of any progress in securing further lands in Italy. Naples needed to expand in order to grow stronger, and with the economy looking up, he decided to attempt it diplomatically instead of militarily. A royal marriage and and alliance was arranged with Urbino, with the hopes of convincing that small nation to become a vassal.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/44.jpg
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/45.jpg

Unfortunately, while those offers were accepted, vassalage was apparently an impossible dream. Ferrante I did not even bother having his diplomats ask. In 1472, Venice declared war on Mantua.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/46.jpg

Naples was called upon to uphold their alliance with the aggressor, but Ferrante I balked at such an idea. Venice had no other allies except Naples, and they faced an alliance of nearly all of northern Italy as well as the Holy Roman Emperor, Austria. Defeat was inevitable in such a war, so Ferrante I abandoned the Venetians to their fate. The damage to Neapolitan prestige was nothing in comparison to the economic consequences such a war would have had. After 2 years of war, Venice eventually managed to buy its way out of war without losing territory, despite having nearly their entire nation occupied. Ferrante I smiled to himself for wisely avoiding that war.

In September 1472, the Knights of St. John appeared in the King's court. The island of Rhodes had recently fallen to the Ottomans, and they were seeking a new home for their order. They requested that Ferrante I give up Calabria to aid them. The King nearly had the men executed for their impertinence; such an idea was so insulting was almost worth of a declaration of war... had the Knights had any lands on which to declare war. Instead, he simply sent them packing with a severe tongue lashing. Little did Ferrante I know that the Knights of St. John would eventally play a crucial role in Neopolitan affairs...

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/47.jpg

Two years later, another diplomatic envoy from the Knights appeared. This time they were requesting ships to aid them against the Barbary States. Apparently the King of Aragon had donated the Baleares Islands to their cause. Ferrante I was pleased with the news, as it was one less province from which the inevitable enemy could draw resources. Still, Ferrante I was not pleased enough to pay the sums the Knights were requesting. They left empty-handed once again.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/52.jpg

In 1476, the Barbary Pirates attacked Apulia for the third time in as many years. The raid was devastating, and it hit just as Ferrante had invested in the Provincial Accountant in Calabria. The damage done by this raid forced Naples to take out a loan. This angered Ferrante I greatly, as he prided himself on having stable finances, but at least it would be an easy loan to pay back, given the reliable yearly income.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/56.jpg

Ferrante's anger was sated by the arrival two weeks later, of a diplomatic delegation from the King of Castille. Apparently the King was a friend of Naples, and wished to sign a military alliance. Ferrante I tried to suppress his glee, as this was a huge diplomatic coup that could be used against the Aragonese in a future war.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/57.jpg

The rest of the diplomatic world took note of this alliance, as it clearly indicated that Naples was no longer a minor power..

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/58.jpg

In March 1480, the Knights arrived in Ferrante I's court for the third time. As they were being 'escorted' out of the court, they managed to scream something about a war with Aragon. Ferrante I allowed them to return, and quizzed them about this in detail. The King of Aragon, it seemed, had declared war on the Knights, having thought twice about his decision to give up his islands to the Order.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/61.jpg

This was a major development, and Ferrante I considered it carefully. Naples had warned Aragon against aggressive warfare, and this was a valid causus belli without the risk of social unheval. In addition, all of Aragon's allies had abandoned them for such a dishonorable act against the noble crusading Order. At the same time, Malta had no other friends to speak of. If Ferrante I agreed to intervene, it would be a direct war between Aragon and Naples; the Knights could no be expected to provide much in the way of assistance. After some restless nights of indecision, Ferrante I send a diplomatic envoy to the King of Aragon to inform him that a state of war existed between the two nations. There might not be a second opportunity to remove the Aragonese from Sicily and Malta, and Ferrante I did not mean to miss this one.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/62.jpg

He immediately assumed personal command of the army, and ordered the recruitment of 3 more regiments to bring the Royal Army up to 9,000 men. The treasury was stuffed with money ready to pay off the loan which was about to come due. Ferrante I decided that the bankers could wait; the money was needed by Naples now.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/63.jpg

The Aragonese did not wait for the Neapolitans to assemble their new regiments, and they immediately invaded across the Straits of Messina. Ferrante I decided not to wait for the new regiments, and marched to the relief of Calabria. The battle was great victory, and the Aragonese were routed with heavy losses.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/64.jpg

Unfortunately, Ferrante I had underestimated Aragonese naval power, and the Neapolitan navy was blockaded by a powerful fleet and was unable to prevent the defeated Aragonese army from escaping back to Sicily. Even more unfortunately, Ferrante I had suffered a minor wound at the Battle of Calabria. While it was not immediately life-threatening, an infection set in that no amount of leeching would cure. On September 17, 1480, Ferrante I, King of Naples, died. His son, the unimpressive Giovanni I, inherited a Kingdom at war.

https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/65.jpg
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/66.jpg
https://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b.../Naples/67.jpg

In his last will and testament, Ferrante I gave some advice to his successor:

My son, I regret that I leave to you this war that I have prepared for all my life. It is crucial that we are victorious. Sicily and Malta must be regained if we ever hope to have the power to deal with the rest of the Italian states, particularly those that are members of the Empire. Yet, this is a difficult war. The Royal Army is strong, and with competent leadership can defeat anything the Aragonese send against us. However, we are in dire peril at sea. We cannot cross to Sicily without defeating the Aragonese navy, and they outnumber us by a large margin. Fortunately, they are divided by the blockade of our coastline and their fleets might be defeated individually if speed and luck is with us. Perhaps taking out further loans to finance the construction of more galleys might be prudent, before making our move at sea.

While the blockade hurts us the longer it goes on, time may still be our friend in this war. The Aragonese King has greatly angered his people with this war against a fellow Catholic, without a causes belli. His country is completely destabilized and this is wrecking havoc at home. His losses in the siege of the Knights on the Baleares and against our own army at Calabria have raised Aragonese war exhaustion high. If we can hold on long enough, rebellions may begin in their home provinces. Hold on, my son, and have faith. With some skill and luck, you will be the man who regains our rightful control over Sicily and Malta!

Save Game File

Giovanni I ascends to the throne amidst much fanfare, though those who had known him from childhood were truly hesitant about what the future held for Naples...

OOC: I'll play the game later today. Breakfast time now.

OOC

Holy cow. 75% blockade.. that is not good! :sweatdrop:

May Giovanni lead our great nation through this crisis!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Monk

May Giovanni lead our great nation through this crisis!

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With 4/4/4 I fear he may not be the man for the job :laugh4:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CountArach

With 4/4/4 I fear he may not be the man for the job :laugh4:

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Stranger things have happened? :help:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Monk

Holy cow. 75% blockade.. that is not good! :sweatdrop:

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Yeah, it's an odd war. Once the remaining regiments are done building, Aragon won't have any chance of beating us on land. However, we can't invade Sicily because of their naval power. At the same time, I think attrition really is on our side. The blockade isn't moving war exhaustion more than .01 or .02 per month, while Aragon is already hugely exhausted with -3 stability. It's possible we could wait them out. It's also possible it'll be a war with a lot of staring across the straits of messina with little action. Shouldn't be hard to peace out with a white peace or for 25 ducats if it gets too annoying. I admit, I didn't anticipate the size of their navy when I started the war. I thought they were just slightly larger than us, not 3 times our size. :oops:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by TinCow

Yeah, it's an odd war. Once the remaining regiments are done building, Aragon won't have any chance of beating us on land. However, we can't invade Sicily because of their naval power. At the same time, I think attrition really is on our side. The blockade isn't moving war exhaustion more than .01 or .02 per month, while Aragon is already hugely exhausted with -3 stability. It's possible we could wait them out. It's also possible it'll be a war with a lot of staring across the straits of messina with little action. Shouldn't be hard to peace out with a white peace or for 25 ducats if it gets too annoying. I admit, I didn't anticipate the size of their navy when I started the war. I thought they were just slightly larger than us, not 3 times our size. :oops:

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I doubt you had your ruler's untimely death in your calculations either, all part of the fun however. :yes:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Monk

I doubt you had your ruler's untimely death in your calculations either, all part of the fun however. :yes:

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Yep, though I was aware of the risks. I didn't make him a general at all until then, even on multiple rebel-squashing campaigns, because I didn't want to risk his death. It seemed a worthwhile risk at that point though.

Also, I forgot to mention... despite the war, we're still at negative relations with The Knights due to my refusal to give them Calabria earlier. This means that the two chapters of the Order in our provinces can be closed and confiscated, for 25 ducats each. Since The Knights are almost certainly going to be annexed by Aragon anyway, those 50 ducats might be more useful than the chapter houses would be.

Well my reign has been played. It lasted almost 3 years to the day, but those were 3 incredibly hectic years with almost non-stop action... there were moments where I had my head in my hands thinking "How do I get out of this one?" I'll do the write-up this afternoon and pass along the file then.

Sorry to interject But I think you guys just made me make up my mind about getting EU3. :laugh4::laugh4: Thank you.

I just realized a few of the screenshots were mixed up in my write-up. I have fixed the errors.

Well I am more than half way through the write up and it is looking like it will be quite long. A lot of stuff to get through in 3 years of play. It is also 2am so I'm not going to get it done tonight. It will almost certainly be done about 12 hours from now though.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Cultured Drizzt fan

Sorry to interject But I think you guys just made me make up my mind about getting EU3. :laugh4::laugh4: Thank you.

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:2thumbsup:

Take your time CA, but I am anxious to learn in what state I shall inherit the kingdom. :beam:

OOC: Let me apologise for this being so long. I will never use 1 word where 20 will suffice.

The Reign of Giovanni I

September 17th 1480 – September 11th 1483

Naples was at war with the Kingdom of Aragon upon Giovanni rising to the throne of his father. The war had wracked the country economically and had shown the naval power of Naples to be completely lacking and inadequate for a Kingdom that wished to one day dominate the Mediterranean. Nevertheless, it was a war that Giovanni was forced to fight with all the resources available to him.

Giovanni immediately took control of the Royal Army, and would prove to be a fair military commander, in part thanks to the lessons that the military establishment had learnt in the early days of the war. There was, however, a slight strategic problem that was perceived. The Aragonese army were making the crossing from Sicily to Calabria, whilst simultaneously transporting a small raiding party to the eastern holdings of Naples – a manoeuvre that was only possible thanks to Aragon’s complete domination at sea. A cavalry regiment disembarked in Abruzzi on 28th September.

In response to this Giovanni split his army in two parts. The largest part consisted of 4 infantry regiments and a cavalry regiment, whilst the smaller part consisted of a cavalry regiment and an infantry regiment, which was sent to Abruzzi, where another infantry regiment was being raised. This small force on 17th October and had routed the enemy by the 19th.

https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/...alisedpic1.jpg

The larger army had a far harder task at hand, however. The Aragonese King Alfons VI successfully made landfall in early November in Calabria and immediately engaged. The King had brought 6 regiments of infantry with him, but fortunately for King Giovanni was hampered by making beach fall and the mountainous terrain in Calabria. Truly Calabria was going to be a rather difficult task for any potential invader.

https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/...alisedpic2.jpg

With the defeat of Naples King Giovanni realised that the war could be won simply by remaining on the defensive. Yet at the same time, Giovanni realised that this would not be enough for his subjects. As such he took his father’s advice and took out a rather sizable loan, which was immediately invested in the construction of 3 galleys. However, this rather meagre addition to the Neapolitan navy would prove largely insignificant throughout much of the war as the Aragonese navy had successfully pinned the entirety of the existing navy in the ports of Calabria.

Another invasion of Calabria was attempted throughout January 1481, this time with a larger force. However, King Giovanni’s forces were entirely unified and easily defeated the Aragonese King again with extremely light losses on his own side. The treasury, however, was another matter. The two loans that had been taken out thus far in the war were proving quite a strain on the economy and meant that a sustained period of 0.2% inflation per year was deemed necessary.

In early April the Aragonese attempted another landing in Abruzzi, this time with infantry. King Giovanni’s response was to send two cavalry regiments north to deal with this potential threat. It was at this point that the defining moment of King Giovanni I’s reign would take place. The Pope declared war on Naples’ ally Urbino.

https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/...alisedpic3.jpg

https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/...alisedpic4.jpg

After considering for the majority of a day over whether to join this war, rumour reached the court of the King that all of the Pope’s allies had abandoned him to his fate. Their belief was that it was not becoming of a Pope to declare war on sovereign states. Meanwhile, Urbino’s allies had willingly joined the war, as well was the Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. This meant that a third of Italy and Austria already stood unified against the Papal States. It was this that decided the King’s mind.

It was war.

https://i141.photobucket.com/albums/...alisedpic5.jpg

For a reason that complete eludes subsequent historians, King Giovanni was granted control of the war against Rome. The reason, in the opinion of this author, is that the Emperor was already busy with other wars such as that which he was waging against the Teutonic Order, and that Venice did not wish to risk the ire of the Pope to the same extent. Nevertheless, the Neapolitan King was granted control over any future peace negotiations.

The small force that Giovanni had sent north continued its task and routed the Aragonese forces. Meanwhile, however, the soldiers of Urbino had defeated the Pope’s forces and driven them south into Napoli itself, thus placing 6 enemy regiments in a position to attack the Kingdom’s capital. King Giovanni, seeing this, ordered the 2 cavalry regiments to attack with the support of three 3 regiments of infantry sent from the Royal Army. This army proved up to the task of attacking the Pope’s demoralised army and the cavalry pursued them into Apulia.

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Whilst this happened, seeing a moment of weakness in the Neapolitan defence, King Alfons VI decided to strike again at Calabria. This time he did so with an overwhelming force. A full 14000 men were sent against Calabria, standing against the 7000 men of King Giovanni. The campaign for Calabria lasted a great while and was only truly won when the cavalry that had been pursuing the Papal forces rushed south from their victory and leant their weight to the efforts. It is considered an amazing effort on the part of the Neapolitan King and stands out as one of the finest Italian military victories of the late Middle Ages.

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Given that the Papal forces could not be pursued once again they had moved to Abruzzi and laid siege to that province. 4 battered regiments still remained of the force and time was taking its toll. King Giovanni led 4 of his own regiments, reinforced by fresh recruits, and after two battles managed to crush every last man who had once been loyal to the Pope alone. The Pope had no army left, yet the navy was proving to be a menace. King Giovanni was not concerned by this, however, as he had long resigned himself to the fact that Aragon was going to overpower him on the seas anyway.

September 1481 saw it necessary to extend the first bank loan that had been taken out. This in turn meant that even more minting of coins was required for the economy to stay afloat. Inflation was raised to 0.25% with the expectation that it would leap even higher as time wore on. In addition to this King Giovanni ordered special emergency war taxes to be raised across the Kingdom. This was the only way he could see the war being funded in future. Further bad news came on 27th October, when it was announced the Aragon had annexed the Knights back into their realm. Naples was alone.

The new Aragonese King Enric, who had taken over from his father on October 12th, decided to make a renewed assault upon Calabria to see if he could achieve what his father could not. In addition, a simultaneous attack was launched on Napoli by sea. Enric made his attempt on Calabria with 13500 men, whereas Giovanni was forced to defend with 9000. Surprisingly, Enric succeeded where his father had not and managed to eject the Neapolitan army from Calabria, though he paid dearly for this loss.

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Enric immediately besieged the key towns and called upon his cavalry force that was in Napoli to come south to further fortify his position. This would ensure that Giovanni could not simply take them apart piecemeal. However, after this force had retreated to Claabria a further force landed in Napoli, which was quickly dealt with by Giovanni’s forces, a move which greatly raised the morale of his army.

A peace offer arrived early in the new year 1482 from the Papal States, asking for a white peace. Given that they had no army remaining and a battered, though still effective, fleet, King Giovanni saw no reason why he should accept this deal. He hoped that the sieges of Romagna and Roma would end soon so that peace could be concluded favourably, including some compensation for Naples.

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Whilst Giovanni bided his time and defended from various assaults on Napoli it was reported that the Aragonese were pulling out of Calabria. Their army was suffering from the severe effects of attrition, and already the number of effective soldiers in Giovanni’s army outnumbered their opposite number. Whilst this was occurring, a break-out was attempted from the port of Calabria. The Aragonese fleet had been recalled to Aragon proper and as such the naval war was tilted in Naple’s favour somewhat. The breakout went well for the first few days and it looked as though Naples might well be successful. It was at this point that the Papal fleet joined the naval battle on the side of Aragon. They had 16 galleys in the port of Messina, a force that on its own outnumbered the Neapolitan navy. The flight back into Calabria was uneventful, though King Giovanni gave up any hope of cutting off the retreat of the Aragonese army.

Another naval attempt was made in June, with a similar result. This time, however, the Neapolitan navy performed the rather risky strategy of fleeing to their north-east towards the Gulf of Taranto, hoping that the Papal forces would not pursue and that, by remaining away from the major Aragonese ports they could gain some room for manoeuvre. As it happens only half the Papal navy pursued the fleet, capturing a ship in the process and sinking another. However, the Neapolitan navy had made it to Apulia where they could repair and launch later attacks on the Aragonese. These attacks would later prove to be rather ineffective and did not lead to any victories.

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Finally, on 2nd August 1482 the Pope placed the entire nation of Venice under interdict, meaning they were excommunicated. This was hardly surprising given that Venice had occupied. Romagna and were defeating the Papal forces at sea, including blockading the port of Roma. However, this placed King Giovanni in a rather difficult situation. He had the choice of either going along with the interdict, or ignoring it altogether. As it was, Venice had come to have close ties to Naples during the war, and as such Giovanni decided to continue operating much as he had beforehand, and ignored the interdict. This brought the ire of the Pope, but King Giovanni was rather unconcerned given that he believed he had already earned that ire.

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In September 1482 only 2000 Aragonese remained in Calabria, the rest having been evacuated back to Sicily. Complete naval domination was simply not guaranteed any longer and the attrition meant that only a small hostile force could remain in Calabria for any great length of time. King Giovanni realised this and defeated this token force with the greatest ease on the 18th September. Now that his Kingdom was safe, he turned to ensuring that it could continue operating economically.

The war had taken its toll on the Kingdom. Inflation had been raised above 0.6% per year and the treasury was almost empty, both due to the effects of the blockade. The Kingdom was spending a huge amount of money every month simply repaying the two loans they had taken and it was unthinkable for the Kingdom to be able to continue this war for any meaningful length of time. The breaking of the siege of Calabria brought some relief and inflation was able to be reduced to 0.3%, however it was still far beyond what any other Kingdom could imagine.

In December it became necessary to once again resort to taking out a loan, this time for the sole reason of keeping the treasury afloat. However, this meant that for the first time in over a year the Kingdom had some extra money to play with and on December 3rd an envoy was sent to King Enric I of Aragon. Naples offered the rather low amount of 10 ducats in exchange for peace and this deal, amazingly, was accepted by the war-weary Aragonese King, who had seen his own nation in economic and political turmoil.

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Immediately upon hearing that this had been accepted King Giovanni ordered for the army and navy to have their funding cut back to peace-time levels, as well as disbanding parts of the army, despite the fact that the Kingdom was still at war with the Papal States. Secondly, he ordered for war taxes to cease, which would only have caused rebellion across the nation at a time it could ill-afford it. The raising of the blockades more than made up for the lost revenue that this would have offered.

On 11th February the Kingdom of Castille asked the Neapolitan King to honour his alliance and to declare war on Granada, Algiers and Morocco. There were no way that King Giovanni could possibly have considered this offer, because he was still engaged in one war and needed time to recover peacefully. The African fleets would have wrecked havoc, much as the Aragonese had only two months previously. So the King decided not to honour the alliance instead, and the Castillians left, utterly baffled as to why someone would not follow their wishes.

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Good news was to arrive on 30th April, however, when it was announced that Rome itself had finally fallen to the forces of Urbino. The Papal States now had all their Italian holdings occupied by a foreign aggressor. Immediately upon receipt of this news, King Giovanni ordered for a peace envoy to be dispatched, offering the Pope relatively favourable terms. The Pope was to give up Romagna to the Venetians who had captured it, and would pay war indemnities to the Kingdom of Naples. Unsurprisingly, the Pope accepted these and for the first time in the reign of Giovanni I there was peace for Naples.

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King Giovanni spent the following months engaging in peaceful diplomacy in an effort to ensure that Naples would have support in any future engagements. A marriage with a minor Castillian noble was announced and an alliance was signed with Siena. This ensured that central Italy was likely to assist Naples in any future wars and simultaneously meant that the northern border was secured. Urbino, Tuscany and Siena were now all allied with Naples.

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This period of peaceful tranquillity could not be enjoyed by King Giovanni for too long, however, as he died in the late afternoon of September 11th after long weeks of the fever. In his time as King he had not fostered a son and instead his eldest surviving daughter Queen Giovanna III rose to the throne. Many surrounding nations were unhappy with a woman sitting on the throne and this showed through in the intentional snubbing of the Queen by several ambassadors. The Castillians also requested the Pop to declare the aforementioned marriage annulled, a request that was, rather unsurprisingly, granted.

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Shortly before his death King Giovanni dictated some advice to his successor. It read as follows:

Dearest Giovanna

I have left you with a Realm that is content and at peace. The treasury is overflowing, though this money should be saved and used to pay off the three debts that I was forced to accrue in my time as King. You already have enough money to pay off the first of these loans, and it should not be difficult to save up enough to pay off the second loan.

The army is unprepared for another war, and the navy was weakened during the wars, though both would serve their purpose in the result of another Aragonese assault. Calabria is an absolute stronghold and do not forget that, with the combination of the straights of Messina and the mountainous terrain, it poses a huge problem for any invader, even one with naval dominance. Attaining naval dominance is the only way that we can have any hope of winning Sicily for the Realm.

I have faith in you.

Your loving father,
King Giovanni I


OOC: Here is the save file:
https://forums.totalwar.org/vb/local...id=199&id=5156

I’m more than happy to explain any of the goings-on and any of the decisions I made. I was uncertain about the war with the Papal States but I decided a few things. Firstly, we need as many friends in Italy as we could get, and that was certainly achieved. Secondly, I thought we could get away with eventually getting money out of the war, which we did. Thirdly, my King only had 4 as a diplomatic skill and seeing as I was unsure I used this as a tie-breaker. Either way, it all worked out for us.

I also found it strange that I ended up getting quite attached to my character and felt a bit sorry for him, having this period of troubles for his Kingdom. Roleplaying can be amazing sometimes.

Got the save, will begin later today. :book:

Well, done CA! I didn't expect Aragon to amass armies quite that large... good to see my lack of foresight with the Aragonese war wasn't fatal. Hopefully Venice will hang on to Romagna for a while... if it isn't in Papal hands at the time of the next (inevitable) war, I'm pretty sure we'd be able to take Rome in a peace treaty, which would be a big gain for Naples.