Deleted member 67076
A year has passed since Naples has been taken. In that time, the Papal states have been busy. Constant drilling, calls for Crusade and emergency evacuation plans have been set up. Militarization has gripped the province, with the Papal legion swelling immensely in number, as both the faithful and the fearful join in order to protect their home and church from the infidel. Countless calls for Crusade are given out, and many an indulgence are rewarded to those who would defend God’s land. But these are less than expected, the Western Schism ensures that.
South of the border, Naples is undergoing great changes. Turkish and Rumelian settlers are sent in, and vast fortifications are being built. The conquest of Naples has been more costly than it should have been, and the Kayser is in no mood to lose his new possessions. His soldiers, as a reward for their service, are also encouraged to settle this new land, providing southern Italy with a well trained militia in the case of any northern incursions. At the same time, the Sultan makes sure to treat his new subjects with respect, and he is rewarded with only a minor revolt that is easily crushed. The serfs in particular are taking a liking to their new Ottoman overlords, as they signal the end of feudalism and being tied to the lands of their forefathers. This, combined with the new immigrants from the east, allows cities to quickly regain their old glory, and in many cases, surpass it.
In Bari, the regions ports receive substantial investments and are drastically increased to make sure naval landings are not compromised, and resupply is quick and consistent. The lifeblood of Ottoman Italy is dependent on the logistics at hand, and this is reflected in the investment given to make sure of that. Similarly, in Anatolia and Rumelia, calls go out to the Muslims and Orthodox, really, anyone who has a grudge against the Catholics and the Papacy, to join the Armed forces and take up arms against the Italians. The fact that the Ottomans have managed to gain a foothold in Italy inspires confidence, and many a zealot, opportunist or just plain murder join the army. The upcoming invasion is framed as both a Jihad and a Crusade, as twin holy struggles against the betrayals of the past, from the Great Schism to the Crusades, and that both the Orthodox and the Muslim should take arms against. Now, while one might ponder about how exactly that would be internally consistent, propaganda has never cared about being rational.
Nonetheless, the calls do their job, and the army sees an increase in volunteers. In addition, previous troops in the armed forces are routinely drilled and disciplined, with their mettle tested in the small, harmless targets of the remaining beyliks in Anatolia: Dulkadir and Ramadan, and that rotting corpse of a state known as a the Mamluks. The Beyliks quick capitulation, along with deep, successful raids in Syria, prove that the recruits are ready. The Sublime Porte expects resistance to be immense; this is the capital of Christendom after all. But the prize, the prize is what keeps them going. For holding both great cities and reuniting the Roman Empire after nearly 1000 years of separation is simply too much to resist.
In 1432, it is time to strike. As expected, the main Ottomans attempted to swarm Lazio with lightning speed, aiming to overwhelm the defenses and capture the Holy City as soon as they were able to. At the same time, landings in the Pentapolis were conducted to capture and contain the Papal forces, in an attempt to both cut off communications and force the Papal legions to split their forces into more manageable units. Divita et Impera, as the old saying goes. Following this, the impressive Ottoman navy (and that of the co-opted Venetians) followed with an absolutely massive blockade on the territory. On all sides but north, the Papal states were surrounded, and to the north lay their rivals, who don’t care of the state of the Papal lands, hell some of them might even welcome their rival getting conquered if it means shifting the balance of power in their favor.
While the Ottomans may have the initial advantage, they are stunned and in some cases repelled by the highly devoted Papal forces, who are willing to bleed if it means pushing back the Turk. While the discipline is nothing to be particularly proud of, nor is the number of people in the army. It is instead the ferocity of the defenders, along with their excellent use of terrain and Scorched Earth tactics that momentarily gives pause to the advancing conquerors. These are men, women and in some cases children who are going all out in defense of their faith, home and family. After all, the cornered rat is the most dangerous. There is, however, a very large and well trained mercenary presence in the Papal legions, that does give become a serious nuisance.
And so the initial advance into Lazio is slowed to crawl, as the Italians absolutely refuse to go down without a fight. In the nearby duchies of Romagna and the Pentopolis, things are going somewhat better, although that isn’t saying much. Both regions take well over a year to subdue, and it is estimated that around 10% of the population had died during the campaigns against the Ottomans. But there are 3 things in favor of the Ottomans: Dicipline, equipment and artillery. Glorious, glorious artillery.
With these three tools at their disposal the soldiers of Suleyman are able to continue pushing towards, Rome, slowly yet surely, wearing out their opponent bit by bit. On the other side of the war, Pope Martin is in turmoil. His non stop calls for crusade have been largely ignored, his troops are being bled dry and he is increasingly running out of money for new troops. Countless indulgences do him no good when the faithful are seeing, even betting, on Rome to fall to the barbarians. When the Ottomans arrive at the gates of Rome in late November of 1432, Pope Martin attempts to pull off his evacuation plans, but is blocked off impeding Ottoman troops, who begin to lay siege to the city. The winter is harsh, but the Ottoman commander, Selim Pasha refused to lay off the siege, seeing that he shall never gain the chance to capture the Pope alive. And so the wait begins. Attrition, takes it toll on both sides, but the Ottomans have the advantage of regular reinforcements and supplies. Rome does not.
It is fitting perhaps, that on Christmas Day, the siege is broken. Rome’s walls falter, and the Ottoman troops storm the city, overwhelming it within days and sacking it for days. On New Years, 1433, all resistance is effectively ended, and Selim Pasha declares that Rome is once again reunited with the Roman Empire. The unthinkable had just occurred. The holy city of Rome had fallen. Bitter tears were wept, and a shock wave of outrage rippled through all of Chrisendom. But it didn’t matter now, for the Ottomans had won.
South of the border, Naples is undergoing great changes. Turkish and Rumelian settlers are sent in, and vast fortifications are being built. The conquest of Naples has been more costly than it should have been, and the Kayser is in no mood to lose his new possessions. His soldiers, as a reward for their service, are also encouraged to settle this new land, providing southern Italy with a well trained militia in the case of any northern incursions. At the same time, the Sultan makes sure to treat his new subjects with respect, and he is rewarded with only a minor revolt that is easily crushed. The serfs in particular are taking a liking to their new Ottoman overlords, as they signal the end of feudalism and being tied to the lands of their forefathers. This, combined with the new immigrants from the east, allows cities to quickly regain their old glory, and in many cases, surpass it.
In Bari, the regions ports receive substantial investments and are drastically increased to make sure naval landings are not compromised, and resupply is quick and consistent. The lifeblood of Ottoman Italy is dependent on the logistics at hand, and this is reflected in the investment given to make sure of that. Similarly, in Anatolia and Rumelia, calls go out to the Muslims and Orthodox, really, anyone who has a grudge against the Catholics and the Papacy, to join the Armed forces and take up arms against the Italians. The fact that the Ottomans have managed to gain a foothold in Italy inspires confidence, and many a zealot, opportunist or just plain murder join the army. The upcoming invasion is framed as both a Jihad and a Crusade, as twin holy struggles against the betrayals of the past, from the Great Schism to the Crusades, and that both the Orthodox and the Muslim should take arms against. Now, while one might ponder about how exactly that would be internally consistent, propaganda has never cared about being rational.
Nonetheless, the calls do their job, and the army sees an increase in volunteers. In addition, previous troops in the armed forces are routinely drilled and disciplined, with their mettle tested in the small, harmless targets of the remaining beyliks in Anatolia: Dulkadir and Ramadan, and that rotting corpse of a state known as a the Mamluks. The Beyliks quick capitulation, along with deep, successful raids in Syria, prove that the recruits are ready. The Sublime Porte expects resistance to be immense; this is the capital of Christendom after all. But the prize, the prize is what keeps them going. For holding both great cities and reuniting the Roman Empire after nearly 1000 years of separation is simply too much to resist.
In 1432, it is time to strike. As expected, the main Ottomans attempted to swarm Lazio with lightning speed, aiming to overwhelm the defenses and capture the Holy City as soon as they were able to. At the same time, landings in the Pentapolis were conducted to capture and contain the Papal forces, in an attempt to both cut off communications and force the Papal legions to split their forces into more manageable units. Divita et Impera, as the old saying goes. Following this, the impressive Ottoman navy (and that of the co-opted Venetians) followed with an absolutely massive blockade on the territory. On all sides but north, the Papal states were surrounded, and to the north lay their rivals, who don’t care of the state of the Papal lands, hell some of them might even welcome their rival getting conquered if it means shifting the balance of power in their favor.
While the Ottomans may have the initial advantage, they are stunned and in some cases repelled by the highly devoted Papal forces, who are willing to bleed if it means pushing back the Turk. While the discipline is nothing to be particularly proud of, nor is the number of people in the army. It is instead the ferocity of the defenders, along with their excellent use of terrain and Scorched Earth tactics that momentarily gives pause to the advancing conquerors. These are men, women and in some cases children who are going all out in defense of their faith, home and family. After all, the cornered rat is the most dangerous. There is, however, a very large and well trained mercenary presence in the Papal legions, that does give become a serious nuisance.
And so the initial advance into Lazio is slowed to crawl, as the Italians absolutely refuse to go down without a fight. In the nearby duchies of Romagna and the Pentopolis, things are going somewhat better, although that isn’t saying much. Both regions take well over a year to subdue, and it is estimated that around 10% of the population had died during the campaigns against the Ottomans. But there are 3 things in favor of the Ottomans: Dicipline, equipment and artillery. Glorious, glorious artillery.
With these three tools at their disposal the soldiers of Suleyman are able to continue pushing towards, Rome, slowly yet surely, wearing out their opponent bit by bit. On the other side of the war, Pope Martin is in turmoil. His non stop calls for crusade have been largely ignored, his troops are being bled dry and he is increasingly running out of money for new troops. Countless indulgences do him no good when the faithful are seeing, even betting, on Rome to fall to the barbarians. When the Ottomans arrive at the gates of Rome in late November of 1432, Pope Martin attempts to pull off his evacuation plans, but is blocked off impeding Ottoman troops, who begin to lay siege to the city. The winter is harsh, but the Ottoman commander, Selim Pasha refused to lay off the siege, seeing that he shall never gain the chance to capture the Pope alive. And so the wait begins. Attrition, takes it toll on both sides, but the Ottomans have the advantage of regular reinforcements and supplies. Rome does not.
It is fitting perhaps, that on Christmas Day, the siege is broken. Rome’s walls falter, and the Ottoman troops storm the city, overwhelming it within days and sacking it for days. On New Years, 1433, all resistance is effectively ended, and Selim Pasha declares that Rome is once again reunited with the Roman Empire. The unthinkable had just occurred. The holy city of Rome had fallen. Bitter tears were wept, and a shock wave of outrage rippled through all of Chrisendom. But it didn’t matter now, for the Ottomans had won.
Awesome update! Can't wait to see how the Ottomans deal with the inevitable Catholic response.
Deleted member 67076
Forgive the shortness, I had more written down but it didn't feel right to group them together.
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It is 1433. Rome has fallen. The Ottoman Empire has taken the Holy land of the Papal states and placed the people under his yoke. The armies of Osman have secured everything everything south of the Pentapolis and are now marching on Ravenna in tandem with a Venetian army while settlers from the Rumelia are sent in to toll the fields of the men and women who gave their lives to delay the Ottoman advance.
Now, one might ask? Where are the Crusades? The calls for war against the Turk? Why don’t the powers that be do anything?
And the answer to that is a combination of… they can’t, or they don’t care. In the case of the latter, one must explain the situation in Catholicism: The so called “Western Schism” between the Pope in Rome and another Pope in Avignon, had divided Christendom for worse. The nations of France, Spain, Poland and Portugal adhered to the Pope in Avignon, whilst England, Hungary and the Northern Italian states
In fact, when news reached that the Papal States fell and Pope Martin was captured, Antipope Benedict XIII personally called the “God’s rightful punishment for usurping the throne of St. Peter.” Many had that same viewpoint, that the Ottoman empire was merely the just punishment for the schismatic fools.
The other reason for the seeming impotence of the West was that most powers simply couldn’t do anything. France was knee deep in the Hundred Years war against England and needed to use every available man to finish the war, which was rapidly going in their favor. The remaining independent Italian states had absolutely no interest in fighting the Ottoman juggernaut, considering the move suicidal: Venice had fallen, Naples had fallen, Hungary had been emasculated and now the Papal states. Further opposition would only lead to their downfall. Instead, they tried to salvage the situation, with many states taking steps to appease the new superpower. The Republic of Florence for example, sent an emissary asking to be an Ottoman vassal. The Ottomans readily accepted, and Florence became integrated into the Ottoman system similar to that of Venice. This agreement soon became mutually beneficial, with Florence prospering under Ottoman protection, and in some cases, patronage (as many Ottoman aristocrats became noted patrons of the many artists, architects and engineers that bloomed in the upcoming Renaissance). At the same time, the Ottomans saved men and time that would be used in subduing another hostile population, and along with Milan, gained a buffer state between them and the west proper.
Speaking of Milan, if there was any state that prospered from the Ottoman domination of Italy, it was them. The drastic change of the Balance of Power ensured that Milan became the most powerful Italian state left standing. In addition, the Ottoman attitude of Milan was cordial and rather peaceful. It seemed the Kayser had stated his desire for conquest. Instead the Ottomans worked to keep relations honest and fair. Milan was a useful and inoffensive buffer state that had not antagonized them so far.
An unspoken agreement between the two was formed: Milan would serve, along with Venice, as the link between East and West, and so long as they did not threaten Ottoman Interests were given free reign to do whatever they pleased. This nonchalant attitude was extremely beneficial to Milan, as it allowed them to try a second round of expansion as they did in the first decade of the 1400s. One by one the north Italian states would fall, even Genoa, turning the small duchy into a sizable, regional power. By 1450, Milan was master of all lands north of the Po.
Religiously, the fall of Rome effectively ended the Western Schism, as the Papacy in Avignon became the default winner. One by one, the states of Europe returned to the fold of Catholicism, (minus the Hussites, but thats a story for another day)
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It is 1433. Rome has fallen. The Ottoman Empire has taken the Holy land of the Papal states and placed the people under his yoke. The armies of Osman have secured everything everything south of the Pentapolis and are now marching on Ravenna in tandem with a Venetian army while settlers from the Rumelia are sent in to toll the fields of the men and women who gave their lives to delay the Ottoman advance.
Now, one might ask? Where are the Crusades? The calls for war against the Turk? Why don’t the powers that be do anything?
And the answer to that is a combination of… they can’t, or they don’t care. In the case of the latter, one must explain the situation in Catholicism: The so called “Western Schism” between the Pope in Rome and another Pope in Avignon, had divided Christendom for worse. The nations of France, Spain, Poland and Portugal adhered to the Pope in Avignon, whilst England, Hungary and the Northern Italian states
In fact, when news reached that the Papal States fell and Pope Martin was captured, Antipope Benedict XIII personally called the “God’s rightful punishment for usurping the throne of St. Peter.” Many had that same viewpoint, that the Ottoman empire was merely the just punishment for the schismatic fools.
The other reason for the seeming impotence of the West was that most powers simply couldn’t do anything. France was knee deep in the Hundred Years war against England and needed to use every available man to finish the war, which was rapidly going in their favor. The remaining independent Italian states had absolutely no interest in fighting the Ottoman juggernaut, considering the move suicidal: Venice had fallen, Naples had fallen, Hungary had been emasculated and now the Papal states. Further opposition would only lead to their downfall. Instead, they tried to salvage the situation, with many states taking steps to appease the new superpower. The Republic of Florence for example, sent an emissary asking to be an Ottoman vassal. The Ottomans readily accepted, and Florence became integrated into the Ottoman system similar to that of Venice. This agreement soon became mutually beneficial, with Florence prospering under Ottoman protection, and in some cases, patronage (as many Ottoman aristocrats became noted patrons of the many artists, architects and engineers that bloomed in the upcoming Renaissance). At the same time, the Ottomans saved men and time that would be used in subduing another hostile population, and along with Milan, gained a buffer state between them and the west proper.
Speaking of Milan, if there was any state that prospered from the Ottoman domination of Italy, it was them. The drastic change of the Balance of Power ensured that Milan became the most powerful Italian state left standing. In addition, the Ottoman attitude of Milan was cordial and rather peaceful. It seemed the Kayser had stated his desire for conquest. Instead the Ottomans worked to keep relations honest and fair. Milan was a useful and inoffensive buffer state that had not antagonized them so far.
An unspoken agreement between the two was formed: Milan would serve, along with Venice, as the link between East and West, and so long as they did not threaten Ottoman Interests were given free reign to do whatever they pleased. This nonchalant attitude was extremely beneficial to Milan, as it allowed them to try a second round of expansion as they did in the first decade of the 1400s. One by one the north Italian states would fall, even Genoa, turning the small duchy into a sizable, regional power. By 1450, Milan was master of all lands north of the Po.
Religiously, the fall of Rome effectively ended the Western Schism, as the Papacy in Avignon became the default winner. One by one, the states of Europe returned to the fold of Catholicism, (minus the Hussites, but thats a story for another day)
Deleted member 67076
Yes, yes they do. Yeah, it will be different. Its going to be bigger, better and far more... noticeable. Ottoman administration, and end to fuedalism and most of Italy under control of one state with extensive contacts to the east means TTL's Italy will be far richer than OTL's Italy during the Renaissance (especially since the mismanagement of Naples will be fixed far earlier here). Not to mention, there are many, many would be patrons of art with money to spend that ITTL would get the opportunity to do so.
There is still an exodus of Greeks to Italy, just as relocated settlers from the Ottoman government in addition to refugees from the Balkans and Anatolia.
I'd say there's probably more of a Greek presence in Italy than OTL.
So a stronger richer Italy, so I assume that means there's zero chance of there being an Italian war TTL. Look forward to the next update, wonder where the Ottomans will conquer next.
Population
I could see the Ottomans and the western states exiling troublemakers/heretics and ne'er do wells to each other's states along with spies and missionaries.
I could see the Ottomans and the western states exiling troublemakers/heretics and ne'er do wells to each other's states along with spies and missionaries.
So what if the challenge was failed, it just means a larger one looms! More!
Deleted member 67076
This is still a hella sick TL, you should keep it going!
So what if the challenge was failed, it just means a larger one looms! More!
Thanks guys! I'll try to continue this till at least 1500, and see what happens next.
Reform
I would think the presence of the Ottomans in Italy and their success may start a process of reform in the western states in the military sciences and the arts.
I would think the presence of the Ottomans in Italy and their success may start a process of reform in the western states in the military sciences and the arts.
Deleted member 67076
Egypt will be feel the boot of the Ottoman oppression as time goes on. Or the Jalayrids. Either way, the Mamluks are a rotting corpse.
Way too early to tell. Alas, I'm rather doubtful of the plausibility of that. Its less a case of "can we do it?", (of which I lean no, due to the logistics) and more "why do we want to do this?", as much of Europe is poor and underdeveloped (compared to the Middle East, China and India)
Still, I've no doubt a future Kayser would be inspired by his predecessors and try to expand his domain.
Actually that's been happening for several decades now what with the Hundred Years war and the Reconquista wrapping up. France now has a standing army for example.
Extra innovation relative to OTL might happen, but I'm a bit "eh" on that one unless the Ottomans actively try to threaten them. The Renaissance will spur change in Europe, as it did IOTL, which will have all sorts of effects that I'm not keen on spoiling.