Lone Wolf
Deity
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2006
- Messages
- 9,908
RFC-DoC, my own 1.10 modmod, Monarch, Marathon, Italy. Going for the UHV.
By 1168, the cities of Northern Italy had long been subject to the Holy Roman Empire since it conquered the cities of Northern Italy from the Langobards. The Papal State was protected by the Kingdom of France, whereas the empire at Constantinople retained control of the peninsula's southern part.
The social processes going on in the northern cities, however, meant that interesting things would happen there soon. The local merchant city-based elite, in a series of power struggles, defeated and subjugated the large-scale aristocratic landholders and started to reassert itself against the Emperor up north.
The city of Florence, or Fiorenza, was the center of the new political power. Ironically, the Pope and the King of France seemed to have minded its rise more then the German emperor, primarily because the Emperor had long neglected the Italian part of his crown, concentrating on the lands near the Rhine.
A military confrontation soon started between Florence and the Pope, supported by the kingdom of France.
<Yeah, I drastically increased the starting Italian army. Otherwise, Italy, no matter human or AI, was consistently conquered shortly after spawn, and RFC Italy is a bit underpowered in either case>.
As the Florentine army broke the walls of Rome, France sent excursions towards the Po river valley.
A clever and somewhat sinister Venetian named Enrico Dandolo distinguished himself in the siege of Rome by suggesting the tactics the Florentines used to conquer the city. Under his leadership, the French were pushed back from the Po valley.
Dandolo's political machinations ensured that Venice itself abandoned the protection of the German Emperor and joined the Florentine League. The Emperor himself, it was said, was too busy feeding his peacocks to send a punitive expedition, although the historicity of this legend is in doubt, considering the parallels to no less fictitious legend about the 5th century Roman emperor Honorius. It's even possible that this rumour was deliberately spread by cunning Dandolo in order to discredit the Emperor's authority among the Italians.
The Florentines pushed forward, annexing Provence. The merchants of Provence weren't particularly distressed by the conquest, although the landholders were more difficult for the Florentine League to deal with.
Detachments of Italian crossbowmen raided as far as Aquitaine, although it was clear to the Florentines that any further conquest of French territory would be impossible.
Nevertheless, the French king was forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty with the Italian cities.
By 1168, the cities of Northern Italy had long been subject to the Holy Roman Empire since it conquered the cities of Northern Italy from the Langobards. The Papal State was protected by the Kingdom of France, whereas the empire at Constantinople retained control of the peninsula's southern part.
The social processes going on in the northern cities, however, meant that interesting things would happen there soon. The local merchant city-based elite, in a series of power struggles, defeated and subjugated the large-scale aristocratic landholders and started to reassert itself against the Emperor up north.
Spoiler :

The city of Florence, or Fiorenza, was the center of the new political power. Ironically, the Pope and the King of France seemed to have minded its rise more then the German emperor, primarily because the Emperor had long neglected the Italian part of his crown, concentrating on the lands near the Rhine.
A military confrontation soon started between Florence and the Pope, supported by the kingdom of France.
Spoiler :

<Yeah, I drastically increased the starting Italian army. Otherwise, Italy, no matter human or AI, was consistently conquered shortly after spawn, and RFC Italy is a bit underpowered in either case>.
As the Florentine army broke the walls of Rome, France sent excursions towards the Po river valley.
Spoiler :

A clever and somewhat sinister Venetian named Enrico Dandolo distinguished himself in the siege of Rome by suggesting the tactics the Florentines used to conquer the city. Under his leadership, the French were pushed back from the Po valley.
Spoiler :

Dandolo's political machinations ensured that Venice itself abandoned the protection of the German Emperor and joined the Florentine League. The Emperor himself, it was said, was too busy feeding his peacocks to send a punitive expedition, although the historicity of this legend is in doubt, considering the parallels to no less fictitious legend about the 5th century Roman emperor Honorius. It's even possible that this rumour was deliberately spread by cunning Dandolo in order to discredit the Emperor's authority among the Italians.
Spoiler :

The Florentines pushed forward, annexing Provence. The merchants of Provence weren't particularly distressed by the conquest, although the landholders were more difficult for the Florentine League to deal with.
Spoiler :

Detachments of Italian crossbowmen raided as far as Aquitaine, although it was clear to the Florentines that any further conquest of French territory would be impossible.
Spoiler :

Nevertheless, the French king was forced to sign a humiliating peace treaty with the Italian cities.
Spoiler :

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