Alternate History Thread III

[das]

that thing in Germany

The House of Leiningen is proud to present to you the Holy Roman Empire. It has nearly disintegrated in the 13th century, but after the 14th the aforementioned House begun building a strong powerbase for itself, rallying the German princes in a religious war with Avignon Catholic France later in that century and in the 15th century. Prestige from that war, plus a system of dynastic marriages and adroit manipulation of the German feudal houses had allowed the House of Leiningen to eventually build the Holy Roman Empire. After the events of the late 17th/early 18th century (the Great Mediterranean War), the Holy Roman Empire had firmly assumed the position of Europe's leading power and the hegemon of Central Europe. Thus started the Pax Germannica, which lasted until the 1870s-1880s (Age of Nationalism, drawn-out wars, succession crisis, ethnic uprisings and the Italian Revolution had hit the Empire during that period; right now it has recovered in some regards, but is yet to reclaim its hegemonic position).

strongly Roman-Catholic Australia?

It was a traditionally pious colony from the start (an English Catholic religious order played a large part in its foundation). When the Fifty Years War destroyed the British empire and devastated its homelands, it obviously caused a cultural crisis of identity as well in the Kingdom of Arcadia's early days. That and a tradition of religious dissent culminated in the separation of the Anglican Church from the Roman Catholic one, in Arcadia and the Plate; the Australians, however, being already in ideological contention with Arcadia (disagreements on the "legacy of the British", diverging paths of political evolution, as well as more real disputes over African and South American colonies), grew even more loyal to Rome thanks to the element of spite.

There are other reasons as well.

Informationsayswhat?

That was mostly part of the intellectual flowering associated with "Pax Germannica". It includes stuff like the theory of relativity.

I suppose I'll revive the tradition of asking for potential recommendations too.

Kingdom of Arcadia. Duh.

Its a more central posotion to their new Empire, and its easier to administer from Delhi. Evey subcontinent spanning Empire in India had their capital and Delhi at one point or another. Also Pune is too close to foregin territory and vulenrable to attack.

a) All of your arguments are more or less dubious (how is Delhi central, for one thing?);
b) The Peshwa does not agree with you;
c) If anybody ever does a NES based in this setting, you could probably take the Maratha Confederacy and then move the capital to Delhi if you want to.

 

[Disenfrancised]

the most advanced countries are on the 1840s-1850s Britain level, though it isn't really as linear as that

It includes stuff like the theory of relativity.

Does not compute , theoretical physics required advanced experimental methodolgy (namely the experiments raising questions that need theory answers). For example without 1880s+ aluminium chemistry you can't make half-silvered mirrors, wouldn't be able to do the Michelson–Morley experiment accurately, thus would have no need to create a theory of special relativity to solve the results.

I could go on but I won't .

As to your new timeline das it looks pretty cool, though I of course have minor technical quibbles

1) The conquest of Kongo - unlikly that they would go to the bother, until the late nineteenth century technology (specifically tropical medicine, and railroads to get round the Livingstone Falls) to make it anything like worth while - although the river is easily naviable upstream from Kinshasa, you can't get from Kinshasa to the coast, thus all transport must be done by expensive human labour (since the animals die). This is one of the reasons the portuguese left Kongo independent OTL - it wouldn't have been profitable to take over, and they were open to missionaries, so why bother?

2)The americans seem to be doing very well despite a smaller relative population (~ 2:8 rather than 4:10) and the size of militias they can raise.

 

[das]

theoretical physics required advanced experimental methodolgy (namely the experiments raising questions that need theory answers). For example without 1880s+ aluminium chemistry you can't make half-silvered mirrors, wouldn't be able to do the Michelson–Morley experiment accurately, thus would have no need to create a theory of special relativity to solve the results.

So reasonably one could presume that said experimental methodology is also ahead of the general tech. level.

1) The conquest of Kongo - unlikly that they would go to the bother, until the late nineteenth century technology (specifically tropical medicine, and railroads to get round the Livingstone Falls) to make it anything like worth while - although the river is easily naviable upstream from Kinshasa, you can't get from Kinshasa to the coast, thus all transport must be done by expensive human labour (since the animals die). This is one of the reasons the portuguese left Kongo independent OTL - it wouldn't have been profitable to take over, and they were open to missionaries, so why bother?

This is, indeed, ONE of the reasons. However, the Portuguese DID try to take over in OTL, and the reason they stopped was their empire's general decline combined with fearsome Kongolese resistance. Here, Portugal/Brazil is reinvigorated, and eager to reassert its colonial empire in Africa. Finishing what they started and avenging past humiliating defeats sounds like a logical step (compare with Italy and Ethiopia). As for missionaries, the ecclesiastical clashes between Portuguese bishops and the Kongolese monarchy were a major point of contention in OTL, so that hardly made the relations any better.

2)The americans seem to be doing very well despite a smaller relative population (~ 2:8 rather than 4:10) and the size of militias they can raise.

They do have a much larger population than in OTL, and the Spanish example for guerrila campaigns in a civilised nation, and some other advantages, but luck (especially if we class a few genial commanders under luck) indeed was the decisive factor thus far, especially the lucky break provided by the rebellions on the British Isles. Which gives us a particularily interesting situation at the beginning of the hypothetical NES.

 

[Disenfrancised]

So reasonably one could presume that said experimental methodology is also ahead of the general tech. level.

Since the methodolgy is based off and linked with general industrial and commercial development (and vice versa) . Aluminum production has other applications you know .

And as for kongo, they win, find it far too expensive in men and money, and suffer another decline . Also reaching further up the congo at this stage is really unfeasible.

 

[das]

Since the methodolgy is based off and linked with general industrial and commercial development (and vice versa) . Aluminum production has other applications you know

Many applications for aluminium existed already in the 1850s. Anyhow, I don't think its strictly impossible to reach the Theory of Relativity without the level of development you propose. It is unlikely, yes, but stranger breakthroughs had happened.

And as for kongo, they win, find it far too expensive in men and money, and suffer another decline .

Possibly.

 

[Disenfrancised]

Many applications for aluminium existed already in the 1850s. Anyhow, I don't think its strictly impossible to reach the Theory of Relativity without the level of development you propose. It is unlikely, yes, but stranger breakthroughs had happened.

Debateable, until experimental equipment (and the general technical knowledge base necessary to utilise) acheives the accuracy needed to reveal problems with classical mechanics, physicists will stick with the old model as it explains and predicts the facts. There are many, many things that could have been developed with earlier tool, IMHO relativity is realy really not one of them . Indeed if some fluke circumstance had thrown it up, it would have been ignored as mathematical masturbation (much like string theory is today) with no bearing on observable phenomena, and would only have been developed properly when experimental equipment improved, and you get the same result.

I'm not just saying that because I dislike NESes (or more accurately NESers) with nukes .

 

[Symphony D.]

Kingdom of Arcadia. Duh.

I despise colonial empires, and generally dislike pretending to be British. Not that there's anything wrong with being British, but it runs mostly counter to my nature.

I'm not just saying that because I dislike NESes (or more accurately NESers) with nukes .

Now, now, you still need fission, relativity just helps you greatly when you get there.

Disenfrancised does have a point in that Relativity was mostly accepted because large gaps were appearing in Newtonian physics that nobody could explain, like the aether theory. Without getting to that point there's no need to accept it (or even look for it) and even if you were able to do so, the technology required to really verify it would need to be around the level of what it was OTL, which makes it very curious for everything else to lag behind.

 

[Israelite9191]

The next installment is here. PoD is in blue and changes in green. Comments, questions, criticisms are all both welcomed and invited. Hopefully this will not get totally drowned out by the unavoidable enthusiasm surrounding das' latest little ditty. As for particularly requested input, I would like some comments on possible outlets for the Ottomans and future developments in Spain. I have some ideas for both, but I have somewhat stagnated on them. Additionally, any thoughts on Sweden, Denmark, and Norway would be appreciated (I feel like I am missing something important regarding them...).

The Age of Elisabeth – Timeline​

Spoiler “First Installation” :

1343 –
1.) Robert the Wise Angevine, King of Naples, King of Jerusalem, Count of Provence-Forcalquier becomes seriously ill.
2.) Elisabeth, Queen Mother of Hungary, arrives in Italy campaigning on behalf of her elder son, Louis I the Great Angevine, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Dalmatia to take the throne in place of her younger son Andrew, Duke of Calabria, heir to the Neapolitan throne.
3.) Robert dies.
4.) Pope Clement VI takes the side of Louis and Elisabeth over Andrew.
1344 –
1.) Louis I the Great Angevine, King of Hungary, is crowned King of Naples, King of Jerusalem, and Count of Provence-Forcalquier.
2.) Louis I and Stefan II Kotromanić, Ban of Bosnia, invade Zara declaring war on Venice. Zara is conquered and the Banate of Dalmatia is united with that of Bosnia as a reward to Kotromanić. The Republic of Ragusa is founded under Hungarian hegemony.
1345 – 1347 –
1.) Louis I, with significant aide from Kotromanić, campaigns in the Herzegovinan principalities and Cumania (Wallachia and Moldavia) with significant success.
1347 –
1.) Kotromanić invades Serbia on pretenses of aiding dynastic relatives in Montenegro gain independence. Louis I joins and the War of Montenegrin Independence begins officially on May 20.
2.) Albania rises in revolt under Charles Angevine, Duke of Durazzo, cousin to Louis I of Hungary, and legal claimant to the Albanian throne.
3.) The Battle of the Zeta takes place on July 3. Combined Hungarian, Bosniak, Montenegran, and Albanian forces crush the Serb military.
4.) The Treaty of Belgrade is signed ending the war. The treaty is signed by a collective of Serb lords in place of Stefan Dušan, who has fled to exile in Bulgaria. Serbia becomes a Banate of Hungary under Charles, who also becomes the Prince of Albania.
5.) Balša I is crowned king of the newly independent Montenegro.
6.) Balša I and his three sons and heirs die under mysterious contexts. Kotromanić becomes the logical heir and is crowned king of Montenegro.
1349 –
1.) An assassination attempt organized by Charles I, Prince of Albania on the life of Louis I, who had only female heirs which would have allowed Charles to place a claim to the throne, is uncovered by Kotromanić. Charles is seized and executed by Hungarian forces and Louis I, the logical heir, takes the Albanian throne.
1351 –
1.) Louis I re-releases the Golden Bull of 1222, guaranteeing the rights of Hungarian nobility.
1352 –
1.) The Moldavian Voivodeship is founded out of Cummania by Louis I. Dragoş of Béltek Maramureş is sent by Louis I to establish a line of boundary against the Golden Horde. Dragoş continues the campaign extending Moldavia to the Dneister River.
1353 –
1.) Tvrtko I becomes Ban of Bosnia and King of Montenegro.
1354 –
1.) Byzantine Emperor John V Palaeologos appeals to Hungary for aide against the Ottomans. Louis I responds by sending a moderate force under Tvrtko, marking Hungarian entrance into the War of Adrianople.
1355 –
1.) Kazimierz Wielki III, King of Poland names Louis I, his nephew, as his successor.
2.) The War of Adrianople stalls and John V appeals for more help. Louis responds by sending another small army followed by a second soon there after.
1356 –
2.) The War of Ardrianople turns in favor of the Byzantines with The Fourth Battle of Adrianople. Most of the Hungarian forces, including Tvrtko, return home.
1358 –
1.) The War of Adrianople turns again, this time in favor of the Ottomans, with The Sixth Battle of Adrianople. John V does not request aide.
1359 –
1.) The Ottomans win the seemingly decisive Battle of Pentikion. John V seeks aide from Louis I but is denied.
2.) John V seeks aide again, pledging to hand over all Byzantine territory as far south as Thessaloniki in Greece excepting the Golden Horn and Gallipoli. Louis I responds by personally leading a large force.
3.) Bâlc Maramureş assumes the Voivodeship of Moldavia.
4.) Bogdan of Cuhea raises a revolt in Moldavia. Bâlc flees into Transylvania and requests help from Buda, which sends a small force to prevent Bogdan from entering Transylvania, but nothing more.
5.) Proclamation of the first Orthodox Romanian Metropolitan Church in Wallachia.
1359 – 1360 –
1.) A series of decisive battles takes place between the Magyaro-Byzantine forces and the Ottomans culminating in The Eighth Battle of Adrianople. The Ottomans return to Anatolia.
1360 –
1.) Louis I redirects his attention and leads a large number of troops into Moldavia, crushing the fledgling rule of Bogdan and reinstating Bâlc as vovoide. Bogdan flees to Walachia.
1361 –
1.) The Hungarian royal residence is moved by Louis I to Buda from Esztergom (Gran).
2.) Louis I invades Bulgaria.
1362 –
1.) Louis I defeats and captures Ivan Stratsimir, Tsar of Bulgaria, securing northern Bulgaria.
2.) Pope Urban V succeeds Pope Innocent VI in Avignon.
1363 –
1.) Byzantium wins the naval Battle of Megara against the Ottoman Turks.
2.) Epirus revolts against Byzantium, establishing a greater level of independence while the Byzantines are distracted defending against the Ottomans.
3.) Tvrtko invades and conquers Epirus, crowning himself Despot of Epirus.
1365 – 1370 –
1.) Louis I initiates a series of successful wars against Wallachia and Bulgaria. Wallachia is conquered in 1368, Bulgaria remains independent.
1366 –
1.) Decree of Turda negates nobility rights of the Orthodox Romanians in Transylvania, Hungary.
1369 –
1.) Jan Huss is born in Bohemia.
1370 –
1.) Kazimierz Wielki III, King of Poland, dies and Louis I the Great Angevine, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Dalmatia is crowned King of Poland.
2.) Pope Gregory XI succeeds Pope Urban V in Avignon.

Spoiler “Second Installation” :

1371 –
1.) Tsar Ivan Shishman is crowned as co-emperor with his brother Ivan Stratsimir by their father Tsar Ivan Alexander, the supreme emperor. Bulgaria is significantly weakened by the split.
1372 –
1.) Louis I invades a weakened Bulgaria.
1373 –
1.) Ottomans defeat the Byzantines decisively at the naval Battle of Lesbos.
2.) Ottomans begin the invasion of Greece, landing forces on the mainland.
3.) Siege of Thessaloniki, John V Palaeologos requests aide from Louis I of Hungary, the request is denied as Hungary is tied up in Bulgaria.
1374 –
1.) Philip II of Taranto passes, leaving the Principality of Taranto and the Principality of Achaea to James of Baux.
2.) Mária of Hungary Angevine is betrothed to Sigismund of Luxembourg despite the wishes of Elisabeth of Bosnia Kotromanić, Queen Consort of Hungary and mother of Mária.
1374 – 1376
1.) Magyaro-Bulgarian War stalls with Hungary controlling the inner half of Bulgaria.
2.) The Ottoman invasion of Greece carries on with minimal Byzantine resistance but significant peasant uprising. John V requests help from Hungary several times but is denied. He also requests help from the West but is likewise denied.
1377 –
1.) The Avignon Papacy returns to Rome under the leadership of Pope Gregory XI at the behest of Catherine of Sienna.
2.) Treaty of Santorini signed ending the war between the Ottomans and Byzantines. Greece is handed over to the Ottomans and the Ottomans pledge to guarantee the independence of Constantinople under Byzantine rule.
3.) Pope Gregory XI condemns John Wycliffe.
4.) Władysław II Jagiello succeeds to the Lithuanian throne and becomes sole ruler.
5.) Plovdiv falls in late November. Bulgaria incorporated into the Hungarian Empire.
1378 –
1.) John Wycliffe attempts to defend his theses before the English public.
2.) Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV of Luxembourg dies. His son Wenceslaus IV the Drunkard, Elector of Brandenburg, succeeds him as King of Bohemia and King of Germany. He is elected King of the Romans.
3.) Papacy permanently moved to Rome.
4.) Pope Urban VI elected Pope under pressure from the Roman mob.
5.) Antipope Clement VII elected at Fondi, establishes himself in Avignon. Western Schism begins.
6.) Louis I intervenes on behalf of Urban VI. He leads a large force into Italy while sending Tvrtko to lead a force in Provence, a holding of the Hungarian crown since merger with the Neapolitan crown, to besiege Avignon.
7.) France intervenes, sending a force to clash with the Hungarian one.
1379 –
1.) War of the Papal Schism continues with Hungarian and French forces clashing in Italy and Provence. Both sides make advances but neither is able to gain the upper hand.
2.) Radu I, titular Prince of Wallachia, and his son Dan I, titular heir to the Princedom of Wallachia, raise a revolt against Hungary. Forces under the loyal Bâlc Maramureş, Voivode of Moldavia, are sent to suppress the rebellion. They meet moderate success before being forced to retreat by lack of supplies.
1380 –
1.) Battle of Milan takes place between Hungarian lead pro-Urban forces and French led pro-Clement forces. The battle ends in a draw with both sides retreating from Northern Italy to lick their wounds.
2.) The War of the Papal Schism continues in Provence with minor gains by Tvrtko.
1381 –
1.) The Peasants’ Revolt takes place in England. As a result Wycliffe grows more unpopular among the elite.
2.) Kęstutis Alexander seizes the Grand Dukeship of Lithuania.
3.) The War of Chioggia comes to an end with Venice defeating Genoa.
4.) France launches a new offensive in Northern Italy. They are opposed by a weakened Venice.
5.) England enters the War of the Papal Schism in Northern France with a large invasion.
6.) Brittany revolts, siding with Pope Urban VI and joining England and Hungary.
7.) Second Battle of Milan takes place. French forces are soundly defeated by a Venice-lead alliance of pro-Urban Italian city states supported by Hungarian florins. France retreats from Italy.
8.) Battle of Kermartin takes place. Anglo-Breton forces defeat French forces.
9.) Battle of Évreux is fought between the English and French. French win a crushing victory through superior tactics. English retreat to stronger positions west of the Orne.
1382 –
1.) Battle of Orange is fought in Provence. Forces under the leadership of Tvrtko decisively crush French troops. Tvrtko marches on and lays siege to Avignon.
2.) Avignon falls. Clement VII and the rebel cardinals are executed en masse. Pope Urban VI is reinstated as the Holy Father for all of Catholic Christendom.
3.) Synod of London condemns the teaching of Wycliffe.
4.) Treaty of Genoa signed by all involved parties. Provence is made a duchy, Brittany is made fully independent, and England takes control of much of northern France.
5.) Trieste donates itself to Hungary out of fear of being conquered by Venice.
6.) Louis I the Great Angevine, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Dalmatia, King of Naples, King of Jerusalem, Duke of Provence-Forcalquier, Prince of Albania, King of Poland, dies. His eldest daughter Mária inherits the throne. At the behest of her mother, Elisabeth of Bosnia, she immediately dismisses her betrothal to Sigismund. Elisabeth organizes Tvrtko’s placement as co-regent.
7.) Kęstutis Alexander, Grand Duke of Lithuania is taken prisoner and executed by the former Grand Duke, Władysław II Jagiełło, who regains the crown.
1383 –
1.) James Baux, Prince of Taranto and Prince of Achaea, dies. Mária seizes the principality of Taranto, a fief of Hungary. Charles II of Durazzo the Short Angevine inherits Achaea.
2.) Stefan Tvrtko I Kotromanić, Ban of Bosnia and King of Montenegro and Mária wed at the urging of Elisabeth of Bosnia. Tvrtko receives the titles and holdings of Louis I.
3.) The Teutonic Crusades against Lithuania recommence.
4.) The Orthodox Romanian nobles in Transylvania are restored to their positions by Trvrtko.

Spoiler “Third Installation” :

1384 –
1.) John Wycliffe dies.
1385 –
1.) Tvrtko sends Bâlc Maramureş, Voivode of Moldavia, to lead an invasion of Wallachia. After a serious of minor defeats he wins the decisive Battle of Târgovişte both Prince Dan I Basarab and his son Mircea I Basarabare killed in the fighting. The voivodeship is awarded to the Maramureş family for their service.
1386 – 1390 –
1.) Tvrtko and Maria institute a series of reforms, consolidating power in the Crown of St. Stephen and weakening the Hungarian nobility.
1388 –
1.) The Wycliffe Bible completed.
2.) Mass persecution of Lollard followers of Wycliffe’s teachings begins.
1389 –
1.) Pope Boniface IX succeeds Pope Urban VI in Rome.
1390 –
1.) Lords in southern Hungary raise a revolt demanding a re-issuing of the Golden Bull and an expansion of rights.
2.) Charles II the Short of Durazzo, Prince of Achaea, begins secretly financing the rebels.
3.) Vytautas the Great Gediminaičiai, claimant to the Lithuanian Grand Dukeship the raises a revolt against the current Grand Duke, Jogaila Gediminaičiai Jagiellon in alliance with the Teutonic Order.
4.) Tvrtko leads an army into the south, engaging the rebels in several battles but makes little headway.
1391 –
1.) The nobles secure several key positions.
2.) Charles of Durazzo reveals his intentions and begins sending Achaean troops to aide the rebels.
3.) Charles of Durazzo dies mysteriously, assassination is assumed and Elisabeth of Bosnia falls under suspicion.
4.) Vytautas allies with Muscovy.
5.) The Ottomans invade Achaea from their positions in the southern Peloponnesus. Achaea is slowly annexed into the Ottoman Empire, leaving all of Greece except the Duchy of Athens and some northern territory in Hungary under Ottoman rule.
1392 – 1393 –
1.) The nobles begin loosing ground to Royal forces under Tvrtko, until the last stand at the Battle of Hódvásárhely (modern Hódmezővásárhely, Csongrád, Hungary). The battle was short and the few forces that fought for the rebels in the battle mostly fled.
1392 –
1.) Vytautas defeats Jogaila and takes the Lithuanian throne.
2.) Elisabeth of Bosnia, Queen Mother of Hungary, dies of natural causes.
1394 – 1396 –
1.) Tvrtko embarks on a second series of internal reforms eliminating defunct fiefs and reducing the number of noble titles. This includes the incorporation of Bosnia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Naples, Albania, Epirus, and Montenegro into the holdings of the Crown of St. Stephen.
1396 –
1.) The uneasy peace between France and England of the Treaty of Genoa is shakily secured with the marriage of Richard II Plantagenet, King of England, Titular King of France, and Lord of Ireland to Isabella of Valois, Princess of France.
2.) Charles VI the Mad Valois, King of France invades Genoa.
3.) Genoa soundly defeats the invading French force. France is forced to pay significant reparations.
4.) Charles VI turns up dead in his bead in the royal palace, assassinated. He has no male heirs and only one living female heir, Isabella of Valois, Queen Consort of England.
1397 –
1.) War of French Succession breaks out upon the death of Charles VI. Louis de Valois, Duke of Orléans claims the throne as does Richard II, whose wife is the closest thing to an obvious heir.
2.) England invades France with the intention of securing the French throne for the Plantagenets. Burgundy and most of the French fiefs side with Louis de Valois, while Brittany and a few French fiefs, in particular ones with lesser power, side with Richard II. For the time being Provence, under Hungarian rule, remains neutral.
3.) Milan sends troops to aid Louis, who is married to the duke’s daughter.
4.) Genoa, Venice, Florence, and Bologna, in a surprise alliance, invade Milanese territory. Milan is destroyed and the alliance marches on to France
5.) English troops defeat Valois troops at the Battle of Lisieux, securing northern France up to the Seine.
6.) The Ottoman Empire finishes the conquest of Anatolia up to the Black Sheep and White Sheep Turkomans.
7.) Thomas Arundel appointed and then ousted as Archbishop of Canterbury.
1398 –
1.) English win the Battle of Diepe. All of Normandy is now under English control.
2.) Anglo-Breton forces are defeated by Valois forces in the Battle of Batz-sur-Mer. Breton borders are pushed up to Nantes itself.
3.) Italian troops march across the Alps to attack Orléans from behind. They are confronted by a Valois army and are soundly defeated.
4.) Teutonic Order raids into Lithuanian territory resume.
1399 –
1.) The war quiets down considerably for several months with both sides gathering forces.
2.) An extraordinarily large force of English, along with Italian supporters, arrives in Rouen’s docks. The force begins marching for Paris.
3.) Louis diverts vast amounts of troops towards Paris in order to confront English forces.
4.) The forces confront each other at The Battle of Argenteuil. The battle is long, the forces involved tremendous in number, and the list of casualties never-ending, but the English emerge victorious over the Valois by a seeming stroke of luck. The English march on to secure Paris.
5.) Provencal forces, under the leadership of Tvrtko, launch a surprise attack against Languedoc and southern French territory. Burgundy is simply too weak to defend itself and does not put up a fight.
6.) After securing southern France Tvrtko happily offers to moderate a peace between the English alliance and the Valois faction.
7.) Mária Angevine, Queen Consort of Hungary, dies of natural causes.
8.) Battle of the Vorskla River won by the Golden Horde against Lithuania, which was led by Vytautas.
9.) Warlike John V the Conqueror Montfort, Duke of Brittany, dies, his peaceful son John VI the Wise Montfort ascends to the throne.

 

[Israelite9191]

Spoiler “Third Installation Cont.” :

1400 –
1.) Treaty of Nantes signed. Richard II secures northern France, including Paris, and the title of King of France. Louis is given the title Grand Duke of France and sovereignty over the remnants of the French Kingdom. Provence is expanded to include all of southern France excluding English Bordeaux. Brittany is returned to pre-war borders and the title of Duke of Brittany changed to Grand Duke of Brittany to reflect the fully independent nature of the state. The Milanese territory is divided between Florence and Bologna with Genoa and Venice gaining maritime rights and minor land gains in Italy.
2.) Richard II returns to England, where an angry and officially exiled Henry Bolingbroke has him imprisoned and seizes his crown and titles.
3.) Thomas Arundel retakes his place as Archbishop of Canterbury.
4.) Welsh rebellion under Owain Glyndŵr begins with Owain declaring himself Prince of Wales.
5.) A series of squabbles over the Holy Roman Emperorship results with Wenceslaus the Drunkard Luxembourg, King of Bohemia, King of the Germans, and King of the Romans being deposed in favor of Rupert III, Elector Palatine, Count Palatine Zweibrücken, and King of the Germans.
6.) Timur defeats the Ottomans and Egyptians to capture Damascus.
7.) Timur conquers the Black Sheep Turkomans and Jalayirid Dynasty. The leaders of both seek safety among the Ottomans.
8.) Timur sacks Ottoman Sebaste (modern Sivas) in western Anatolia.

Spoiler “Fourth Installation” :

1401 –
1.) Timur raises Baghdad.
2.) Passing of De hæretico comburendo Act in England and France by Henry IV at the behest of the anti-Lollard Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Arundel. English translations of the bible are now illegal and heresy now punishable by burning at the stake.
1402 –
1.) The Ottomans loose the Battle of Ankara to Timur. The following infighting between claimants to the Ottoman throne causes a stagnation of the Ottoman rise in power.
2.) A Scottish raiding army under the Earl of Douglas is defeated by the English under Sir Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy at the Battle of Homildon Hill.
3.) The Canary Islands are colonized for Castile by Jean de Béthencourt on the orders of Henry III the Infirm Trastámara of Castile.
4.) The Welsh rebels are decisively victorious over the English, destroying the enemy army, who outnumbered them nearly 2:1, at the Battle of Bryn Glas near the Anglo-Welsh border.
5.) The former Duke of Milan, Gian Galeazzo Visconti, dies from illness as he prepares a rebellion against Florence and Bologna.
6.) Vicenza is conquered by Venice.
1403 –
1.) A peasant uprising occurs in Paris and the surrounding countryside. Henry IV and his son leave with a large force for France.
2.) Sir Henry ‘Hotspur’ Percy rebels against Henry IV and allies with Owain Glyndŵr of Wales.
3.) Battle of Shrewsbury takes place in late July in the north of England. Rebel forces under Sir Henry Percy face off against royalist forces. The Cheshire archers prove decisive in holding off the much larger royalist force long enough for rebel Welsh reinforcements to arrive. The rebels emerge victorious.
4.) Jan Hus begins preaching Lollard inspired teachings in Bohemia.
5.) The rebellion in France is put down and Henry IV returns to England.
6.) Henry IV marries Joanna of Navarre née d’Évreux, former regent of Brittany and daughter of the Navarrese king, Charles II the Bad d’Évreux.
7.) While the Ottomans are absorbed by internal struggles the Byzantines make a grab for Ottoman territory in northern Greece but are “advised” against this by Tvrtko.
8.) Vytautas ends the Lithuanian-Muscovian alliance and captures Smolensk and Vyazma.
9.) Georgia recognizes Timur as suzerain.
1404 –
1.) Owain Glyndŵr secures a triple alliance between himself, Scotland, and Sir Henry Percy’s rebels against England. Parliamentary assemblies begin in Wales.
2.) Pope Innocent VII succeeds Pope Boniface IX in Rome.
3.) Stefan Tvrtko I Kotromanić, King of Hungary, King of Naples, King of Jerusalem, Grand Duke of Provence-Forcalquier, Prince of Albania, King of Poland, dies and is succeeded by his son Stefan Tvrtko II Kotromanić.
4.) Peace and alliance against Moscow is signed by Lithuania and the Teutonic Knights.
5.) The Battle of Shipton Moor results in a defeat at the hands of Henry IV of rebel troops under the leadership of Archbishop of York Richard le Scrope and Thomas Mowbray, Earl of Norfolk. The rebel troops retreat to better positions and join with forces under Sir Henry Percy.
1405 –
1.) Timur dies of fever while on campaign in China.
1406 –
1.) The Battle of Brassington is fought between the English rebels, Welsh rebels, and Scots on one side and the royal forces on the other. The royal forces are overwhelmed and the rebel alliance emerges victorious.
2.) Peace of Derby is signed. The independent Principality of Wales and Grand Duchy of Northumberland are recognized with the former under Owain IV the Great Glyndŵr, Prince of Wales and the Parliament of Wales and the later under Henry Hotspur Percy, Grand Duke of Northumberland. Man is secured as a definitively Scottish holding.
3.) Pope Alexander V succeeds Pope Innocent VII in Rome.
4.) Vytautas signs an alliance with the Novgorod Feudal Republic.
5.) Pisa falls to Florence.
1407 –
1.) The Grand Duchy of France invades that of Provence-Forcalquier.
2.) Tvrtko II responds by leading a large force into Provence.
1408 –
1.) Battle of Marseilles ends with a climactic clash between French and Provencal-Hungarian forces. Tvrtko II is killed be a random arrow in the back as Louis de Valois leads a surprise attack from behind. Hungarian forces are withdrawn from Provence.
2.) The death of Tvrtko II leads the ascension of Borić I the Infant Kotromanić, at the age of eighteen months, to the Hungarian throne and the regency of the Queen Mother Kujava née Radenović.
3.) The Treaty of Montpellier is signed by Kujava née Radenović, in the stead of Borić the Infant as Duke of Provence-Forcalquier and Louis de Valois. Languedoc and other Provencal holdings outside of Provence’s own borders are handed over to the French Grand Duke.
4.) Vytautas is invited to become knyaz of the Novgorod Feudal Republic.
1409 –
1.) The Mac Carthy Mors and O’Briens of southern and Western Ireland lead a revolt against the English with support from the Scottish. The other de facto (some of them also de jure) independent clans of Ireland join the revolt.
2.) The Anglo-Irish lords, by now in large part Gaelicized, are convinced to join the rebellion at the Summit of Dingle, in the territory of the rebel-friendly and Gaelicized FitzGerald clan.
3.) Battle of Kildare proves a victory for the Irish. Though not resulting in significant territory transfer, it does force Henry IV to go to Ireland with as much of an army as he could assemble to put the rebellion down.
4.) The Battle of Louth results in an English victory and the Irish rebels are pushed back from the Pale.
5.) The Battle of Tullamore proves a decisive rebel victory with Henry IV himself being killed in the fray.
6.) With absolutely no money to pursue the rebels, Henry V, the new King of England and King of France, is forced to sign the Treaty of Cork establishing the independent Royal Republic of Ireland.
7.) The Royal Republic of Ireland is formed with the Parliament, consisting of representatives of the rebel clans, the few remaining old kingdoms, and the Anglo-Irish lords, sitting in Cork.
1410 –
1.) The conquest of Sardinia is completed by the Aragonese.
2.) The Battle of Gulbene, one of the largest and bloodiest in medieval history, is fought in eastern Latvia between forces of the Teutonic Order and forces of Lithuania-Novgorod. Utilizing ingenious tactics, some of which were acquired from the Mongols, forces under the leadership of Vytautas the Great are decisively victorious over the Teutonic Knights.
3.) Pope Martin V succeeds Pope Alexander V in Rome.

Spoiler “Fifth Installation” :

1411 –
1.) Battle of Rapla is fought between Novgorodian and Teutonic forces in eastern Estonia. The already severely weakened Teutonic Knights stand no chance against the high moral of the Novgorodians and the battle is quickly and easily won for Novgorod.
2.) Forces of the Teutonic Order and the Lithuanian-Novgorodian alliance (mainly Lithuanians) meet at the Battle of Mažeikiai. The battle at first appears to be a real competition, but once cracks appeared in the Teutonic ranks they broke and the superior moral allowed the Lithuanians to break the enemy ranks.
1412 –
1.) The Valladolid Laws are passed in Spain placing severe restrictions on the civil rights of the Jewish population.
2.) The Peace of Turoń is signed by the Teutonic Order and the Lithuanian-Novgorodian alliance. The major Teutonic holdings in Livonia and Lithuania are split between the Novgorodians and Lithuanians leaving the Prussians with their holdings in Germany and Pomerania.
3.) Jan Hus condemns the practice of indulgences.
4.) Under papal order the Cardinal of St. Angelo takes action against Jan Hus.
5.) The Synod of Český Brod is held in Bohemia. The traditional Catholics, wishing to avoid a major confrontation, give into the Hussites by agreeing that condemnations can only be made with the agreement of the political leader of the concerned region.
1414 –
1.) Florence invades Sienna.
2.) Hussite Lollardy begins gaining dominance in Bohemia and spreading to neighboring regions in the Hungarian Empire and Austria.
3.) The Union of Yama is signed, creating the Lithuanian-Novgorodian Commonwealth with Vytautas the Great Gediminaičiai crowned King of Lithuania and Novgorod and the Novgorodian legislature expanded to include Lithuanian representation. Vytautas and the Lithuanian nobility convert to Eastern Orthodoxy.
1415 –
1.) Sienna falls to Florentine forces.
2.) The Church in England begins a crusade to eliminate Lollardism, including the burning of all works by Wycliffe and the systematic persecution and on occasion execution of nobles supporting the Lollards.
3.) A number of Lollard nobles flee to Northumberland to escape persecution.
1416 –
1.) Wenceslaus IV the Drunkard Luxembourg, King of Bohemia, gives full legal standing to Hussite Lollardism along with the Roman Catholic Church.
2.) Construction of the Eastern Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension of the Holy Virgin Mary begun in Vilnius by Vytautas.
1417 –
1.) The Genoese-Florentine War begins with Florence invading Genoese holdings in the former Duchy of Milan.
2.) Siege of Genoa begins.
3.) So-called Celtic Reformation, inspired by Lollardy, begins in Ireland under the leadership of Sister Mary, Abbess of Kildare and a number of abbots around the countryside. Much of the nobility openly supports the movement.
4.) The Celtic Reformation begins to spread to Scotland.
5.) An assignation attempt by Sigismund Luxembourg, Margrave of Brandenburg, on the life of Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia is halted and Sigismund is executed.
6.) Ernest I and William III von Bayern-München, close allies of Sigismund, distance themselves from Sigismund by allying with the Hussite allies of Wenceslaus giving them freedom in Bavaria-Munich.
1419 –
1.) Genoese and Florentine diplomats sign the Treaty of La Spezia ending the war and creating the Most Serene Dual Republic of Florence-Genoa.
2.) Persecution of Lollards in England heightens.
3.) Celtic Reformation gains ground in Ireland and Scotland. Spreads to Man and Wales.
4.) Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia dies. His wife, Sofia of Bavaria, becomes Custodian of the Throne.
5.) Ernest I von Bayern-München is crowned King of Bohemia as the closest successor to the deceased Wenceslaus IV.
6.) Under the leadership of Vytautas Lithuania-Novgorod reaches the Crimea, thus stretching from the Baltic to the Black.
1420 –
1.) Portuguese rediscover and begin settling the Madeira Islands.
2.) Native Northumbrian nobility begins adopting Lollardy.
3.) Celtic Reformation continues spreading in Ireland, Scotland, Man and Wales. Begins to gain adherents in (English ruled) Cornwall.
1421 –
1.) The Kingdom of Cyprus invades Mamluk Egypt.
2.) Murad II Osman leads an Ottoman invasion of Egypt taking advantage of the Cypriot invasion, severe political instability, and continued upheaval in Syria.
1422 –
1.) Under pressure from the nobility, Henry II Percy, Grand Duke of Northumberland, adopts Lollardism as the state religion.
2.) Savoy invades and conquers the remaining independent states of western Northern Italy, Genoa those of central northern Italy, and Venice those of eastern Northern Italy.
3.) The Battle of the Al-Fula is fought between Ottoman and Mamluk forces in the Jezreel Valley. Despite suffering large losses the Ottomans emerge victorious due to the valiant efforts of the Turkish Sipahi cavalry.
4.) The Mamluks make one last stand for Syria and the Holy Land at the Battle of El-Azariya (remembered in Christendom as the Battle of Bethany) some two miles from Jerusalem. Though the Mamluks fought valiantly to keep the Holy City, the Ottomans fought equally fiercely to gain it. In the end the Sipahis once again proved their value by tilting the battle in the Ottoman favor and handing control of the Holy Land to the House of Osman with surprisingly minimal losses.
5.) Cypriots emerge victorious at the Battle of Alexandria against demoralized and severely weakened Egyptians.
1423 –
1.) Battle of Giza is fought below the Great Pyramid between Mamluk, Ottoman, and Cypriot forces. The Cypriots emerge victorious with the Ottomans forced to accept a Cypriot victory due to earlier losses in Syria.
2.) Following the Battle of Cairo Mamluk Egypt splinters apart as numerous claimants from among the ruling Burji dynasty and from the rest of the Mamluk class claim power for themselves throughout the empire.
3.) So-called “Coptic Renaissance” begins under the pro-Christian rule of the Cypriots. Orthodox in Cyprus, however, are further angered by the Latin Monarchy’s support of Coptic Orthodox in Egypt and oppression of Eastern Orthodox in Cyprus.
1424 –
1.) The Great Italian War breaks out with the Dual Republic invading Venetian holdings in the former Duchy of Milan and in the east of Italy.
2.) The forces meet in the Battle of Peschiera outside the town of Peschiera del Garda in western Veneto. After a drawn out battle in which the Venetians are successful for some time in defending the fortress, the superior numbers and technology of the Dual Republic win out.
3.) Padua is placed under siege. The city holds out for eight months before surrendering without bloodshed.
4.) The Synod of Canterbury is called for by English authorities to discuss Northumberland’s adoption of Lollardy. They decide to raise an army to crusade against Northumberland and to request of the pope to officially declare a crusade against Northumberland.
1425 –
1.) Forces of the Dual Republic reach the outskirts of the Venetian lagoon.
2.) The Venetian doge agrees to meet that of the Dual Republic in Padua so as to avoid the siege and possible destruction of Venice.
3.) The Treaty of Padua is signed by Venice and the Dual Republic, forming the Most Serene Republic of Italy.
4.) The pope refuses to officially declare a crusade, though he unofficially encourages the English to pursue an invasion of Northumberland.
5.) An Ottoman invasion of the Cypriot home island is launched, taking the Kapasia Peninsula and from there moving south west through the island.
6.) Murad II personally leads an Ottoman army from Syria into Egypt.
1426 –
1.) English forces under John of Lancaster Plantagenet, Duke of Bedford set out for Northumberland with the intent of deposing the Grand Duchy and bringing it back under Roman Catholic control.
2.) English forces camped in Weardale near Wolsingham are surprised in a night attack from the high ground above the valley by Northumbrian troops. The Battle of Wolsingham is a massacre and the English are left devastated.
3.) Greek Orthodox Cypriots are stirred into revolt against their Catholic leaders by the Ottomans, who promise greater freedoms than the Catholics have provided.
4.) Murad’s forces confront a Cypriot army in the Battle of Damietta. Though the Ottomans emerge victorious, Murad is killed his successor, Mehmed II the Conqueror Osman, takes over command of the army.
5.) The Battle of Ain Shams is fought between Ottoman and Cypriot forces outside of Cairo. The Ottomans emerge victorious and secure Cairo and all of the Cypriot territory south until the Mamluk warlord dominated regions.
6.) The Cypriots are pushed out of Egypt by the Ottomans at the Battle of Rosetta.
1427 –
1.) English sign the Treaty of Cornriggs. The English crown agrees to relinquish all claims to sovereignty over Northumberland and to legalize Lollardy. Northumberland in turn agrees to give Roman Catholicism the same rights as Lollardry.
2.) Ernest I von Bayern-München legalizes Lollardy in Bohemia under severe pressure from the merchants, peasantry, and Lollard clergy who now dominate. This is soon followed by the legalization of Lollardy in Bavaria.
3.) Celtic Reformed Catholicism is made the state religion of Ireland (Irish Reformed Church), Scotland (Scottish Reformed Church), and Wales (Welsh Reformed Church). All of these churches claim full communion with the Pope of Rome.
4.) Witch hunts begin in Switzerland.
5.) Diogo de Silves discovers the Azores Islands in the service of Portugal.
6.) The Battle of Nicosia is fought between Ottoman and Cypriot forces. The Cypriot’s appear set for victory on the eve of the battle when word reaches that Mehmed II has emerged the winner. The demoralized Cypriots are decimated by the Ottomans and a force of rebel East Orthodox.

 

[Israelite9191]

1428 –
1.) Hussite Lollardy begins to gain popularity in Hungary, particularly among the German-speaking communities of northern Hungary.
2.) Albert III von Bayern-München, heir to the Bohemian and Bavarian crowns, marries Teodóra Kotromanić, a Hungarian princess and sister of King Borić I the Infant Kotromanić.
3.) The Most Serene Republic of Italy invades Bologna in a five pronged attack, moving against Bologna itself with two armies and against their formerly Milanese holdings north of the Po with three armies, two from the west and one from the east.
4.) Siege of Bologna begins.
5.) Northern Bolognese territory conquered, Italian troops redirected south to aid in the siege of Bologna.
6.) Remaining Cypriot forces retreat into the south and of the island, appealing to Western Christendom for aide, which they do not receive.
7.) Under orders of a fearful Khan, the Muscovites invade the much-too-powerful Commonwealth of Lithuania-Novgorod.
1429 –
1.) The anticlimactic Battle of Paphos is fought between Ottoman and Cypriot forces near the ruins of what was once the center of the Aphrodite cult. The Cypriots, too hungry, demoralized, and generally worn out to resist too heartily, are slaughtered by the Ottomans and Orthodox Cypriot peasants in a matter of an hour or less.
2.) With Italian troops focused on the arena south of the Po, Savoy advantageously invades Italy, taking territory up to and past Milan itself as well as much of Liguria, falling short of Genoa, however.
3.) Aragon lands an invasion flight on Corsica, intent to take the territory as its own while Italy is involved with more important matters.
4.) Vytautas repulses the Muscovite offensive with a series of battles in the hinterlands. He proceeds to lead his troops in an offensive into Muscovite lands.
5.) The Battle of Vladimir is spectacularly won by Vytautas, whose forces suffered minimal casualties while inflicting devastating ones. This hands over the symbolic city and the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir to the Commonwealth.
1430 –
1.) Rinaldo degli Albizzi of Florence rallies Italian troops under his command, leading them to a swift series of victories, destroying the Savoisienne army and securing Milan and the associated territory north of the Po.
2.) Rinaldo continues on, leading his troops into a direct offensive against Savoy.
3.) Bolognese and Italian officials sign the Treaty of Modena, incorporating Bologna into the Most Serene Republic of Italy.
4.) The last resistance in Corsica is decimated by the Aragonese.
5.) The Ottoman expansion redirects itself east ward with an invasion of Trebizond.
6.) A second army of Commonwealth forces, consisting mainly of Novgorodians, join up with those under Vytautas, giving him enough men storm the city. In the ensuing celebratory feast that night Vytautas’ dies of a heart attack. Žygimantas I Kęstutaitis, Vytautas’ favored brother, assumes command of the troops and de facto governance of the Commonwealth.
1431 – 1433 –
1.) The Ligurian War continues with Italian and Savoisienne forces clashing along the Savoy-Italy border and Italian and Aragonese fleets staring each other down, trying to outmaneuver one another but never actually engaging in combat.
2.) Lithuanian-Novgorodian troops finish the conquest of Muscovite and allied lands, bringing the remaining independent Russian states (except Yaroslavl and Ryazan) under the Commonwealth’s control.
1434 –
1.) Chambéry is laid under siege after the Italian victory at the Battle of Thonon-les-Bains, forcing the Savoisiennes to the discussion table. The subsequent Treaty of Thonon-les-Bains incorporates Savoy into the Most Serene Republic of Italy.
2.) Hafsid Ifriqiya launches a surprise attack against the Aragonese in support of Italy. The two fleets face off in the naval Battle of Sant’Antioco Island off the southern tip of Sardinia, which is easily won by the fresh and well prepared Ifriqiyans.
3.) In the Battle of San Fiorenzo Bay a combined Italian-Hafsid fleet defeats an Aragonese fleet, securing dominance over the Ligurian Sea and the islands of Corsica and Sardina.
4.) Žygimantas I Kęstutaitis is crowned Grand Duke of Lithuania in Vilnius. Soon there after he is confirmed as Knyaz of Novgorod.
5.) Kujava Kotromanić née Radenović, former regent and de facto ruler of Hungary in the stead of Borić I the Infant Kotromanić, sends Borić the Infant to lead Hungarian forces in an invasion of the remnant holdings of the Teutonic Order.
6.) Gil Eanes, in the service of Portugal, rounds Cape Bojador. The Portuguese enter the African slave market.
1435 –
1.) Italy sends two fleets to retake Corsica and conquer Sardinia.
2.) Italian forces defeat the Aragonese invasion forces in the Battle of San Martino di Lota in central Corsica. In securing the highlands and the eastern coast the Italians are able to drive the Aragonese into relatively defenseless positions and thus to control the island.
3.) The Battle of Mount Ortobene in northern Sardinia drives the Aragonese away from the coast and into the interior.
4.) The Aragonese are forced to retreat into west-central Sardinia where the Italians catch them some ways outside the town of Bosa. The ensuing Battle on the Temo is won by the Italians, who were superior in training, technology, and experience coming straight out of the great battlefields of Northern Italy.
5.) The last of the Aragonese in Sardinia are cornered by the Italians in the southeast of the island. The Battle of Ilbono results in a decisive Italian victory.
6.) In the naval theatre the climactic Battle of Es Migjorn Gran is fought off the southwest coast of Minorca. The mass of the Aragonese fleet is pitted against that of the Hafsids, mercenary Barbary pirates, and a moderately sized contingent of Italian supporters. Both the Aragonese and Hafsids suffer tremendous losses. In the end, the Italians tip the balance and the day goes to the Italians-Hafsids givin them complete naval supremacy in the Western Mediterranean.
7.) Hungarian forces, far outnumbering their opponents, defeat the Teutonic Knights in the Battle of Neuteich. They go on to secure remaining Teutonic territory and to lay siege to Königsberg.
8.) Metropolitan St. Pimen moves the Metropolia of Moscow to Yaroslavl.
1436 –
1.) The Treaty of Vila-real (Villareal) is signed by the Aragonese, Italians, and Ifriqiya. Aragon agrees to hand over Sardinia to Italy and the Balearics to the Hafsids.
2.) The still large Italian fleet launches a sneak attack on their (former) allies, the Hafsid Ifriqiyans. The Battle of La Savina Beach, fought off the coast of Formentera at the southern extremity of the Balearics, results in a definitive Italian victory and the destruction of the Hafsid navy.
3.) Barbary pirates, under hire of the Italians, destroy the harbors of Bizerte, Nabeul, Sousse, Sfax, and Halq al Wadi (La Goulette) and the ships docked there in.
4.) A small Italian force lands in the Balearics, raising the Italian standard over Majorca.
5.) Königsberg falls to the Hungarian forces. The Teutonic Order is no longer extent as a political force.
1437 –
1.) Italian forces establish beachheads in Bizerte and Nabeul.
2.) Forces under Rinaldo degli Albizzi move out from Nabeul to lay siege to Tunis, where the superior Italian troops manage to hold out against valiant Hafsid attempts to break the siege.
3.) A separate army under the command of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, the “Wolf of Rimini”, marches on Halq al Wadi from Bizerte taking the city easily.
4.) Malatesta’s troops join in the siege of Tunis.
1438 –
1.) A large Hafsid army, consisting of a mix of Ifriqiyan troops and Berber mercenaries, attacks the back of the Italian besieging forces. The Battle of the Bab el Bahr is fought long and hard beneath the looming shadow of the famed arch. Italy’s superior leadership, greater troop experience, and top-of-the-line weaponry finally win the day due to crafty in-battle diplomacy on the part of the Wolf of Rimini, who manages to persuade the Berber mercenaries to turn their backs on the Ifriqiyans in exchange for chests upon chests of gold florins.
2.) With the fall of Tunis the Hafsid governance collapses and resistance becomes minimal with Italian troops seizing the remaining territory with relative ease.
3.) The Wolf of Rimini, appointed governor of the new Piccola Sicilia, or Little Sicily, territory formed of Ifriqiya, establishes government functions in Halq al Wadi and renames the city La Goletta. Colonizers, mainly from Maltesta’s home lands in Romagna, soon begin to trickle into Piccola Sicilia, in particular the highly Italian La Goletta.

 

[das]

Additionally, any thoughts on Sweden, Denmark, and Norway would be appreciated

The Kalmar Union had a major commercial and naval conflict with the Hanseatic League in OTL in this time period; that's likely to still happen.

1.) Hussite Lollardy begins to gain popularity in Hungary, particularly among the German-speaking communities of northern Hungary.

Hussite Lollardy being still essentially Czech, I really don't see that working; if anything Hussite leaders have traditionally singled out the Germans as their enemies, and the German colonists, beign generally quite staunch in their faith, are unlikely to be more receptive to Hus in Hungary than they were in Bohemia.

The Most Serene Republic of Italy

Name change? A rather ambitious one, too (and anachronistic - Italy was very regional back then, Machiavelli aside). Didn't the Holy Roman Emperor hold the Italian royal title? That would cause problems...

7.) Under orders of a fearful Khan, the Muscovites invade the much-too-powerful Commonwealth of Lithuania-Novgorod.

There are some problems with this event.

1) There is no real precedent for the Khan ordering an invasion - all he did was collect tribute and appoint princes.
2) Why would the Khan be really "fearful" of the Commonwealth? It is fairly far away, and the Golden Horde Khans have generally tended to underestimate the gravity of their geopolitical position. They had a good reason, too, because the internal situation really was more serious, with constant civil wars and such. Even if a Khan were to be terribly concerned with the western events, the most logical thing to do for him would be to take a huge army and attack Kiev - that is what they had done with "threatening" Moscow, after all, and they have beat Lithuanians before. Maybe he could invite the Muscovites along for the ride, but, agian, there is no precedent and they would be largely useless.
3) Why would the Muscovites follow the Khan's orders? They never did begin doing that again after Dmitry II's reign.

4.) Vytautas repulses the Muscovite offensive with a series of battles in the hinterlands. He proceeds to lead his troops in an offensive into Muscovite lands.
5.) The Battle of Vladimir is spectacularly won by Vytautas, whose forces suffered minimal casualties while inflicting devastating ones. This hands over the symbolic city and the title of Grand Prince of Vladimir to the Commonwealth.

The geography of this campaign makes little sense. Why would he attack Vladimir before attacking Moscow? The Lithuanians always attacked Moscow in OTL, because it still was rather more important and because it was generally easier to attack (its closer, with all the advantages that entails, and there are less obstacles in the way).

A second army of Commonwealth forces, consisting mainly of Novgorodians, join up with those under Vytautas, giving him enough men storm the city

Storm what city?

2.) Lithuanian-Novgorodian troops finish the conquest of Muscovite and allied lands, bringing the remaining independent Russian states (except Yaroslavl and Ryazan) under the Commonwealth’s control.

That implies that Tver is a Muscovite ally.

The campaign in general seems a bit too easy and too fast. 15th century wars were rarely either of that, in general.

IMHO things in general are getting a bit unnaturally fast, here. The pace is somewhat unrealistic, so perhaps that needs to be dealt with. Aside from that the timeline is fine, though I still have doubts over the durability of the Polish-Hungarian union. These things were just made to break up.

 

[Israelite9191]

The Kalmar Union had a major commercial and naval conflict with the Hanseatic League in OTL in this time period; that's likely to still happen.

Knew I was missing something. Thanks!

Hussite Lollardy being still essentially Czech, I really don't see that working; if anything Hussite leaders have traditionally singled out the Germans as their enemies, and the German colonists, beign generally quite staunch in their faith, are unlikely to be more receptive to Hus in Hungary than they were in Bohemia.

If you remember, in TTL Bohemia and Bavaria are united under a single monarchy with Hussite Lollardy being popular throughout the Bavarian lands. The Hussites in TTL are far less anti-German than in OTL due to different politics among the leadership.

Name change? A rather ambitious one, too (and anachronistic - Italy was very regional back then, Machiavelli aside). Didn't the Holy Roman Emperor hold the Italian royal title? That would cause problems...

Italy was, indeed, very regional, but the idea and symbol of Italy was very much present in the culture. I would highly doubt that the Florentines would discard such a powerful propoganda tool. Also, do note that the "Most Serene Republic of Italy" is hardly a centralised state. It is a sort of confederation with each major city having significant autonomy all of them held together mainly by Florentine force and the general prosperity and power that the union has brought to the Italians (they have secured the Western Med and Tunisia after all). The Holy Roman Emperor did hold the title King of the Romans, but I am not aware of him holding any title "King of Italy" or the such.

There are some problems with this event.

1) There is no real precedent for the Khan ordering an invasion - all he did was collect tribute and appoint princes.
2) Why would the Khan be really "fearful" of the Commonwealth? It is fairly far away, and the Golden Horde Khans have generally tended to underestimate the gravity of their geopolitical position. They had a good reason, too, because the internal situation really was more serious, with constant civil wars and such. Even if a Khan were to be terribly concerned with the western events, the most logical thing to do for him would be to take a huge army and attack Kiev - that is what they had done with "threatening" Moscow, after all, and they have beat Lithuanians before. Maybe he could invite the Muscovites along for the ride, but, agian, there is no precedent and they would be largely useless.
3) Why would the Muscovites follow the Khan's orders? They never did begin doing that again after Dmitry II's reign.

1.) From what I understood the Khan at this point was very fond of using Moscow to prevent the rise of other states. Perhaps "order" is too strong a word, maybe "highly suggest" is more appropriate?
2.) Lithuania-Novgorod is hardly far away from the Khan's power base and much more of a threat than you realise. By this point in OTL Vytautas had successfully conquered his way through numerous Slavic principalities to form an empire stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In TTL Vytautas has an even greater power base and more of an Eastern focus. I did not think it was necessary to outline each individual state that Vytautas conquered, as it follows a path very similar to OTL and could be assumed. Add this to the large Russian power base already held by the Novgorodians, the scarily effective and militant leadership of Vytautas, and the fact that all of this territory falls within the de jure realm of the Golden Horde, and you have a very serious threat.

The geography of this campaign makes little sense. Why would he attack Vladimir before attacking Moscow? The Lithuanians always attacked Moscow in OTL, because it still was rather more important and because it was generally easier to attack (its closer, with all the advantages that entails, and there are less obstacles in the way).

I'm afraid my knowledge of Russian geography was not up to par. Will fix and change to a direct attack on Moscow, or would there be another city more appropriate?

Storm what city?

Moscow. I changed a lot of points in this part and forgot to rewrite this particular point to clarify that it was Moscow. Will fix.

That implies that Tver is a Muscovite ally.

Forgot to mention them. Will fix.

The campaign in general seems a bit too easy and too fast. 15th century wars were rarely either of that, in general.

You are entirely ignoring the campaigns of Vytautas, which in OTL created a very large empire from the Baltic to the Black. Given the much greater power base of Lithuania-Novgorod in TTL than of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in OTL I do not see the war as being too fast at all.

IMHO things in general are getting a bit unnaturally fast, here. The pace is somewhat unrealistic, so perhaps that needs to be dealt with.

Besides Russia, is their anything else that seems to fast? I admit the Italian wars are somewhat fast, but I did not think they were too fast. Things should be slowing down in the next installation a bit as the Italian frenzy calms down and Vytautas dies.

Aside from that the timeline is fine, though I still have doubts over the durability of the Polish-Hungarian union. These things were just made to break up.

Well, not when you consider just how powerful Hungary itself is. I recently did a rough draft of Europe up to this point based on the map NK did for me, and Hungary comes out more powerful than I expected. Louis and Tvrtko the Great achieved much more than one might think in just reading the TL.

 

[carmen510]

Some PoDs that would be much better if experts worked on it.

Muslim Moors defeat French at battle of Tours/Poitiers (732 AD)

Franco-Bavarian army defeats Marlborough and Saxony in the battle of Blenheim (1704)

Germany wins the Somme (1916)

Stalingrad was captured by the Germans (1942)

Japan wins Battle of Midway (1942)

 

[Israelite9191]

The first one has been done to death, the third one has been done to death, the fourth one has been done to death, and the fifth one has been done to death. The Alt Hist threads here have seen dozens of TLs and every one of that sort of obvious PoD, so please, try something a little more unique.

 

[das]

If you remember, in TTL Bohemia and Bavaria are united under a single monarchy with Hussite Lollardy being popular throughout the Bavarian lands. The Hussites in TTL are far less anti-German than in OTL due to different politics among the leadership.

Hmm, no, strangely enough I don't remember that at all. I suppose that would change things, yes (though the Germans in Hungary were Saxons, not Bavarians, and the latter were the least German of those that remained Germans; perhaps this would eventually lead to Bavarian culture splitting away from the German one as well, like the Swiss one did?).

The Holy Roman Emperor did hold the title King of the Romans, but I am not aware of him holding any title "King of Italy" or the such.

All the Emperors held that title, actually - until Napoleon took it for himself.

1.) From what I understood the Khan at this point was very fond of using Moscow to prevent the rise of other states. Perhaps "order" is too strong a word, maybe "highly suggest" is more appropriate?

Actually, he simply propped it up in its natural struggles with its neighbours, and perhaps set it on that course by granting the title of the grand prince to the Muscovite prince. There isn't much he could do unless Muscovy itself gets into trouble. Which it is bound to, ofcourse.

2.) Lithuania-Novgorod is hardly far away from the Khan's power base

It was hardly far away in OTL; the Khan perceived it to be far away, however, and reasonably so because the steppe formed a nice barrier.

and much more of a threat than you realise.

The Khan and I.

By this point in OTL Vytautas had successfully conquered his way through numerous Slavic principalities to form an empire stretching from the Baltic to the Black Sea. In TTL Vytautas has an even greater power base and more of an Eastern focus.

Actually it seems more like a northern focus, because for the last few years he was campaigned in the Baltic region and intriguing in Novgorod - so his threat is perceived to be lesser.

Add this to the large Russian power base already held by the Novgorodians,

Whom the Mongols tended to ignore.

the scarily effective and militant leadership of Vytautas,

Whom the Mongols have already beaten up once. "Teutons-schmeutons, he still is no match for us".

and the fact that all of this territory falls within the de jure realm of the Golden Horde, and you have a very serious threat.

Same existed in OTL, and Kiev is for many reasons more significant than Novgorod as far as the Mongols were concerned.

I'm afraid my knowledge of Russian geography was not up to par. Will fix and change to a direct attack on Moscow, or would there be another city more appropriate?

Moscow would make the most sense; for some reason it was the favoured target of everybody that was at war with Muscovy in this time period in OTL (i.e. Novgorod, Ryazan, Golden Horde, Lithuania...). So that would still work.

You are entirely ignoring the campaigns of Vytautas, which in OTL created a very large empire from the Baltic to the Black.

But these did take more time than that.

Given the much greater power base of Lithuania-Novgorod in TTL than of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in OTL I do not see the war as being too fast at all.

Part of the charm or of the annoyance of contemporary warfare was that it was very time-consuming. Sieges made it difficult and time-consuming for even the greatest empires to advance; just look at all the trouble Mehmed II went through to take what was just one city, albeit highly significant, expertly (but still obsoletely) fortified and strategically-positioned - and even then he had a somehow implausible amount of luck on his side.

Besides Russia, is their anything else that seems to fast? I admit the Italian wars are somewhat fast, but I did not think they were too fast. Things should be slowing down in the next installation a bit as the Italian frenzy calms down and Vytautas dies.

The Italian wars are mostly okay; some of the French events earlier in the timeline were a bit too fast, but I suppose it wasn't outside of the realm of possibility.

Well, not when you consider just how powerful Hungary itself is.

Gah. What does Hungary's power have to do with anything, here? It is irrelevant unless it is used to subdue Poland's dissenting elements by force, and that is likely to cause a local civil war at the least. Unless such a radical course is taken, Hungary's fortunes in Poland depend entirely on intrigue and what they can offer to the szlachta - as opposed ot the intrigue and the promise of the other competitors for the Polish throne, which to some extent will include just about every major royal house in Europe, because Poland, for all of its troubles, is large, powerful and at the same time comparatively easy to seize - an unique opportunity to alter the balance of power epically.

The first one has been done to death, the third one has been done to death, the fourth one has been done to death, and the fifth one has been done to death.

The second one has been done to fatal injury too, by now.

 

[Symphony D.]

Somewhat implausible but interesting scenario:

1.) During the early 1980s, ideally late 1980 itself, a rather large asteroid is detected as being on a very high probability collision course with Earth by both the US and USSR. Time is short.
2.) Both superpowers talk to other about it since it's rather a threat to both, and to the other nuclear powers.
3.) A joint agency is set up to do something about it. Ultimately it becomes clear that the only means capable of deflecting it is multiple salvos of nuclear warheads by all nations with such a capability (since stupid stuff like Armageddon and Deep Impact has never made much sense when you could launch thousands of warheads to save yourself instead of just one or two, either knocking it off course or successively vaporizing the chunks from the last salvo)
4.) The sort of timing and plans necessary to do such a thing are drawn up and initiated. It ultimately takes virtually the entire strategic stockpile of both countries, but it works in deflecting the asteroid.
5.) Humanity celebrates, having come perilously close to extinction.
6.) Opportunists, realizing the superpowers are now limited to air-delivered or tactical nuclear weapons (vast as those stockpiles are) begin to mobilize to fight their own little wars of revenge and conquest.
7.) Hardliners on both sides begin thinking the same way, particularly in the Kremlin, where it appears the West is pulling ahead under new, dynamic leadership (and new technological initiatives, such as a much more seriously taken SDI--this time also built to defend Earth). It appears that now the potential exists for a purely conventional war so long as nobody squeezes the nuclear trigger first, and if that's the case...
8.) NATO positions along the Fulda Gap start falling silent one by one. The world goes to war.

 

[Azale]

Wait...all the worlds nuclear stockpile in space? Won't that rain down some incredible radiation doses on the Earth? Or is it miniscule compared to the Sun's gamma rays....

 

[Symphony D.]

Unless a warhead goes off somewhere within the confines of the of the magnetic field it's lost to the void and completely inconsequential, because it's never getting back to Earth.

The main assumption is that the majority of strategic launch systems have the fuel and delta-v to make escape velocity, which some of them at least wouldn't. I do believe that the superpowers would launch everything they had that could however if it became necessary to do so to survive, however, as you can always build more nukes. You can't really build a new planet.

 

[Luckymoose]

How bout a POD were the world randomly configures itself to a desirable shape for a NES?

 

[silver 2039]

How bout a POD were the world randomly configures itself to a desirable shape for a NES?

Ooh I have one of those:

Spoiler :

I have absolutley no explantion for it just that I thought it would be fun.