Report for 1101

1101 was a year of little activity. It was also the halfway point of my term as Megas Logothetes, which is why I will dedicate the report to overall strategy, and list the events at the end.

There will be a war against the Turks. I predict that the official declaration will come within three years. At the same time, the main attack force will cross into Seljuk-held Anatolia. The attack force comprises 2000 soldiers in total, and will initially be split into two armies, the northern under my own command, and the southern under the command of Ioannis Kalameteros. The first one is in Thrace now and expected to arrive at the border in three years. The second, which is the combination of the private armies of Ioannis Kalameteros and Hypatios Machonios, is assembled in Smyrna.

Meanwhile, Pavlos Chrysovergos watches the Turks at Trebizond, and will attack simultaneously, or even before the main attack.

The West and the Danube are defended by Savvas ek Militou and Basileus Alexios. They have sufficient troops for the task, and it is up to them how to deploy them. If a German crusade comes about, I would ask them to keep an eye on it.

Ceasar Ioannis's lack of progress towards Sinop is disturbing. There is no useful reason for Sinop to remain rebellious. This will not impede the progress of the attack in southern Anatolia, but it would be nice to have back.

The Order continues to attempt to expand slowly around Antioch. Hopefully it won't be long before their lands are contiguous with the rest of the Empire.

The fleet has gone to Crete as a show of force. The Venetian fleet there is of similar size and quality to ours.

Recruitment has slowed down at this time, except for the Navy, which expects to receive another ship years year, and except for priests in Antioch, which have been recruited each year for the past three years.

Construction continues at a decent rate despite the tight budget. A bowyer was started in Nicosia, and it will be the Empire's first, though many archers tend to be available as mercenaries. The complete lack of siege equipment will be addressed when the ballista maker in Nicaea is completed. Roads have been started in Athens, and will complete the road network in the contiguous parts of the Empire. Finally, I have it from a reliable source that brothels are good at attracting spies, and since we have only one spy, I have used Imperial funds to commission a brothel in Thessalonike.

And as the last bit of news, something that everyone already knows, Ioannis Kalameteros and Anna Komnene have been married.

The treasury reserve decreased by 1000 florins this year.

http://mizus.org/files/pbm/LOTR-1102-0.zip