Chapter XXV: Eastward towards Eden
As the new year of 1687 begins, its clear that the Turks have lost nearly all of their Periphery territories. Despite Istanbul's venomous objections to the Treaty of Tripoli (as the treaty between the Genoans and the Dey has became known), its obvious that there is little chance of retaking these territories. Aside from a few holdouts, Hungary has completely fallen to the League and the House of Habsburg, with attention now turning towards Transylvania and the Balkans. The Aegean is a naval battlefield, with the navies of the great maritime powers engaging in a complicated game of chess played out on the various major and minor islands. With the situation becoming critical, the Sultan and his advisers in Istanbul will have tough decisions to make, what to defend and what to sacrifice, where to concentrate their armies and fleets, and other things of that nature. But the League camp is experiencing their own problems. With Genoa's stunning victory in North Africa, the declining Republic suddenly numbers among the European powers, with their Ambassador to Vienna granted a seat on the Supreme War Council, much to the distress of Venice. For the Venetians have long been eying the valuable province of Cyrenaica and the wealthy cities of Benghazi and Darnah, but with the signing of the Treaty of Tripoli the ambitions their ambitions are in jeopardy. However, there is a potential silver lining. The ink on the treaty have given the Genoans legal control of Tripolitania, but they have no troops in Cyrenaica. Therefore, if they can act quickly enough, the Venetians can seize the territory and claim to be "protecting" it before the Genoans can send a single soldier in.
However, the plan isn't without its risks. Aside from the British, Venice has few friends in the League, as the drama over the fate of Crete has shown. As such, there is fears from their Great Council (the major governing body of the Republic) that any move in North Africa could be used as a casus belli by other members of the League, namely France or Austria, to act against the Republic, despite the clauses in the Pact of Vienna that specifically forbid any war between member nations for the duration of the Crusade. Because of the potential issues surrounding such an ambitious plan, the Venetians have to tread carefully, wait for an opportunity when the eyes of the Great powers are elsewhere, and strike. And that opportunity might just be sooner then they think. With the campaign in the Aegean quickly developing into the main theater of war, Britain and the Netherlands have dispatched several squadrons to the Mediterranean, allowing the Venetians to free up portions of their Navy from active duty under the guise of repairing damaged warships and transports. Of course, the fact that most have at best a few battle scars is considered a state secret, to be kept from the other League members at all costs. But even with necessary ships on their way to Venice, a there is still one more issue that needs to be overcome before they can move in to secure their prize. The Republic has long been a naval power, at one point dominating the Mediterranean, but they have never been a true power on land. With little standing armies, the Venetians have no choice but to reach out to German and Italian mercenaries, which will take time to hire and gather. Not to mention that such a large hiring campaign will draw the attention of the other powers. Thankfully an excuse is readily available, that of hiring mercenaries to garrison Crete. Still there are risks and only time will tell if the Venetians will be successful or not.
Meanwhile, the League has began a daring winter campaign in Transylvania under the command of Margrave Louis William. Seeking retribution for the defeat of his forces the previous year, the Margrave is determined to take the city of Gyulafehérvár, and with it the entire Principality. From his base in the city of Lugos, the Margrave plans his comeback. And a brilliant plan it is. At the Margrave's command, his army begins a rapid march towards Gyulafehérvár and by the beginning of February have taken complete control of the surrounding countryside. All that's left is the siege itself. Though the army lacks major artillery, having left most of them behind in Lugos, they are in possession of smaller pieces normally used in battle. The Margrave hopes to use them, in conjunction with the Transylvanians lack of available supplies, to force the city's quick surrender. And his timing couldn't be better. The Turks have made their winter barracks in the vassal Principality of Moldavia, to ward off any potential attack from Poland, while the raised forces of the Transylvanian nobles have returned to their homes. Only the personal forces of Imre Thököly have remained raised, and even those are deployed across the eastern flank of the Principality. Only 1,500 men remain in the capital to act as a garrison. It is against this backdrop that the Margrave's force of 12,000 begin their siege. With such a small force to work with, Prince Imre Thököly is aware that he is fighting a losing battle, but still puts up a determined, though desperate, defense. Managing to hold on for almost a month, the Prince hurls nearly everything he has at the besiegers, from defensive cannons to conscripting peasants, attempting some hit and run attacks with the few men stationed outside the walls and even using a positively medieval tactic, a catapult to hurl pieces of stone and even parts of homes at the enemy. But to no avail. Eventually on March 7th, a traitor throws open the gates at dawn and the League marches in capturing both Transylvania's capital and its Prince.
Redemption for Türkenlouis :the Fall of Gyulafehérvár
With the fall of Gyulafehérvár, the independence of Tansylvania is at an end. Shortly afterwards, the Margrave convenes a special Diet of the Transylvanian Nobility, which promptly (and unsurprisingly) votes to formally end their Principality's independence by unifying with the Kingdom of Hungary, under the rule of the House of Habsburg. The news, along with the former Prince, is dispatched under heavy escort to Vienna, where a delighted Emperor Leopold receives the formal submission of his new province and his newest prisoner. But the fall of Transylvania means much more then a new province for the Habsburg Monarchy. It also means that the Kingdom of Hungary has been fully restored to the borders it enjoyed before the 1526 Battle of Mohács (at which King Louis II of Hungary and Bohemia was killed, leading to a centuries long split within the Hungarian Kingdom between the Habsburgs and the Turks). With such an achievement under his belt, Leopold is now strong enough to make several demands of the Hungarian Diet. Summoned to Pressburg (until recently the capital of Royal Hungary) the Nobles are presented with "requests" from their King. These include the recognition of Catholicism as the State Religion (in the Turkish parts of Hungary Protestantism has been the de-facto state religion for decades), control of taxation to be transferred to the Crown and the dissolution of any and all private armies held by the nobility.
In the past these demands would have been met with thinly concealed mocking and a firm refusal, but now the Nobles are in a difficult position. Their ancient Kingdom has been restored, but most of the lands are held by the Imperial and League armies, and the Emperor is in a position to claim these lands for himself, or distribute them to his own favorites. The nobles realize that if they don't give in to their King, they could lose everything. But, if they negotiate, then there's a chance they can retain some of their privileges and perhaps gain more lands. So they do the only thing they can do: negotiate. After weeks of haggling, the Hungarians and the Emperor come to a satisfactory agreement. In exchange for essentially caving in to the Emperor's demands, the Nobles receive a written declaration, signed with the Imperial Seal, guaranteeing their ancient rights and liberties and a further promise to respect the internal laws of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Declaration of Pressburg, as this document becomes known, is meant to govern all current and future relations between the Kingdom of Hungary and its absentee Sovereign, however only time will tell of the Habsburgs will honor their word, or if Hungary will end up like Scotland, abandoned by its Ruler and leaders and its independence lost. However, that question is for the future,for now is a time of great joy. Across the major cities of the Habsburg Monarchy numerous public and private celebrations are held, including open air concerts in Prague and fireworks shows in Buda, elaborate and colorful precession across Vienna from the Hofburg Imperial Palace to St. Stephen's Cathedral, and the premieres of several new Operas in Innsbruck, not to mention all the various balls, garden parties, fetes, plays and various other entertainments thrown by the nobility.
The pomp and circumstance take on an even more fevered pitch when it is announced that Archduke Josef, second son of the Emperor and unofficial heir to the Habsburg Monarchy (his older half-brother the Prince of Asturias is still formally the heir) will be crowned as King of Hungary and Croatia (a nominal Kingdom in union with Hungary since 1102), in Pressburg, on December 9th. While important, a more significant announcement, at least for Hungary, comes a few days later: the ancient Székesfehérvár Basilica shall be rebuilt and restored by the Imperial Government. This is extremely important, from religious, political and symbolic points of view, as the Basilica was one of the largest Churches in all of Christendom and the ancient Coronation site for the Hungarian Kings before 1526. Sadly it was destroyed in 1601 when the gunpowder stored within was ignited, burning this holy site to the ground. Now the Emperor plans on rebuilding the Basilica as a monument to the Baroque era, a symbol of his dynasty's power and accomplishment.
As Austria prepares for what promises to be the most glamorous event of the year, across the Mediterranean a different kind of event is taking shape in North Africa. For the past two years France has been involved in a slow but steady conquest of the interior of the Ottoman Regency of Algeria, with somewhat mixed results, mainly because of the withdrawal of the most capable commanders and Regiments (including the forces of the King's Military Household). Though resistance to the French isn't a well organized affair, its still widespread, led by the Beys of the various tribal territories that made up the Regency. Because of the tribal's vast knowledge of the geography, they have been able to conduct a series of successful guerrilla-style attacks on the French supply lines and army camps, insuring that any victory for the invaders is bloody and hard fought. However, the Algerians are fighting a losing war. They might be able to harass supply lines and disrupt communications, but they are unable to challenge the French in open combat for a number of reasons, including lack of modern equipment, training, organization and the absence of sheer numbers. The French have the largest, best equipped and well organized (and funded) military in all of Europe. And unlike the other Great powers, they are only fighting on one front, thus able to bring the full might of their war machine down upon the unprepared Algerians. Which is exactly what the Sun King intends to do.
On March 8th, an army of 90,000 arrives in Algiers. Led by Claude Louis Hector de Villars, Prince de Martigues, a new favorite of the King, and made up of the most prestigious and experienced regiments of the Royal army, this force reflects the increasing frustration of the French Sovereign. Having watched the successful liberation of Hungary by his cousin the Emperor, and the rapid campaigns of the Genoans in Tripoli and the Venetians in Crete, Louis XIV has became more and more incensed by the comparative slowness of his own campaigns in Algeria. Finally, with the fall of Transylvania, he has had enough. Louis orders the deployment of a massive force to reinforce the Armée d'Afrique, which will insure that France will finally have complete control over the region. But this new campaign will differ from the previous one in a drastic way. In the previous campaigns the goal of the French was the capture of cities, towns, infrastructure and territory. Now, by the direct command of the Sun King, a new strategy is being adopted, named the Prince after Machiavelli's famous work. Mainly derived from the treatise's views of cruelty vs. mercy and generosity vs. parsimony, the Prince is to be both a military and political strategy, one that will allow the French to finally deal with the rebelling Algerians, divide the native population among themselves and potentially act as a road map for all future conquests in the Muslim world. The plan calls for the Army to break the spirit of the Algerians through horrible acts of cruelty, burning villages to the ground, executing anyone associated with the rebels, including family, friends and acquaintances, destruction of crops and livestock and generally making the price of rebellion so high as to convince the vast majority of the population to accept their new rulers. On the flip side, the plan also gives great favor to those who support the new regime,especially to Christian converts, such as land, wealth, government positions and other incentives, both major and minor.
Despite opposition from both the army and the government, Louis XIV is determined to implement this Princely strategy, summed up in his personal orders to de Martigues: Cassez-les (break them). And that is exactly what the Prince de Martigues intends to do. As much of the coastal regions have accepted French rule easily enough, the Prince implements the new strategy in central and southern Algeria, where the fighting has been the fiercest. Over the next few months the French savagely and ruthlessly enforce the new orders, killing hundreds if not thousands of Algerians, be they soldier or civilian, women or children, innocent or guilty. Those who turn on neighbor and inform the French of rebel allegiances or plans are spared, and in many cases rewarded, as are any Christian converts. By July an estimated 40,000 Algerians lye dead and over 100 villages and towns have been raised. However violent these actions have been, they have succeeded in one aspect: it has drawn the rebels out of hiding. The rebels, understandability horrified and furious at the actions of the French, are calling out for blood, and under the leadership of Omar ben Abd-el Ramdan, Bey of Constantine, they hope to make the infidel's pay for what they've done.
Thanks to a spy within de Martigues' household (the Prince having taken in native converts as servants) the Bey and his men are able to intercept communications which reveal a tantalizing secret: much of the French garrison in Constantine is absent, being sent to deal with uprisings deeper in the interior. Only a remnant of 600 men remain behind, awaiting the arrival of reinforcements from the coast. For the Bey, the chance to retake "his" city is to big to pass up and immediately begins drawing up a plan that will, hopefully, be a chance to gain vengeance on the French and act as a first step in driving the infidels from the land. Sadly for the Bey, this is not to be, for so called "secret" information has been purposefully leaked by the Prince to draw out the rebels. Now they are ready to spring the trap.
In the early morning of August 2nd the Bey and his army of 15,000, the vast majority of the rebel and remnant forces (remnants of the army of the Dey of Algiers) launch a "surprise" attack on Constantine. In order to draw the rebels farther in the French only fire a few of their cannons, making it seem as though the garrison is indeed only 500 men. By late morning the rebels, confident that the intelligence has been proven valid, move the vast majority of their forces onto the battlefield, charging the city's main gate. Now the Prince springs his trap. Instead of a messily garrison of 500 men, Constantine is playing host to an army of 20,000 men, with another force of 30,000, led by the Duc de Duras, about 5 miles away. All at once a massive bombardment from the walls on the cannons begins, catching the Algerians by surprise. Within minutes hundreds fo rebels are dead, but worse is still to come. Soon the main gate to the city is thrown open and from within 4,000 cavalry speeds forward, straight towards the center of the enemy formation. Much of the Algerian army, demoralized and dismayed by the trap, break ranks and flee, only to be intercepted by de Duras' army. By the afternoon the rebellion is all but dead. Over 6,000 rebels lay dead, while another 5,000 have been captured. A mere 4,000 have escaped from the battle, though their will to fight has been broken.
Over the next few months whats left of the rebel force slowly disbands, with most men returning to their homes while a some flee across the borders to Morocco and Tunisia. After the battle, the highest ranking captives, including the Bey and his officers, are sent up to Algiers where, after a show trial, they are sentenced to death and hung drawn and quartered on September 10th, as befitting of traitors to the King. The brutality of the public executions shock and appall the Algerians, feeding the flames of hatred for many. But the vast majority of the population, made up of peasants, are sick of war and threats to their livelihood. The Princely strategy seems to have succeeded, as over the next few years only a few scattered uprisings occur, compared to the organized rebellions of the late 1680s. Now all that remains is figuring out how Algeria shall be governed, with discussions over this issue dominating the salons of Paris and Versailles for the rest of the year.
End of the line: the French cavalry charge at the battle of Constantine
The sudden success in Algeria has taken Madrid by surprise. The Spanish had given aid to the Genoan invasion of Tripolitania under the assumption that both nations would have a free hand in North Africa, since until now the French had little control of Algeria beyond the coastal regions. Now ,with the rebels destroyed, theoretically the French are now free to turn their eyes towards Morocco, Tunisia and Tripolitania. Already the French envoys in Vienna have began to demand the Genoan withdrawal from Tripoli, citing the Treaty of Hampton Court, only recently made public, that promised them the right to conquer all of the Barbary states. With a potentially disastrous situation, the Spanish have some tough choices ahead. Don Juan Jose, after consulting with Queen Marie Louise, the Comtesse de Soissones and other members of their cabal, makes a fateful decision, one that will shift the balance of power in North Africa. First, the Don begins preparations for a full scale invasion of Morocco, long considered by the Spanish to be part of their rightful patrimony. As any invasion will take months to gather a fleet and an expeditionary force with which to invade, his second decision has a much more immediate consequence. On September 15th a letter from Spain arrives in Tripoli, addressed to the Prince de Melfi. Within is a message, uncharacteristically blunt, informing Doria that the time has come for to repeat the actions of his ancestors, to allow the forces of Christendom to fully restore North Africa into their domain. Accordingly, on October 1st, in a solemn ceremony in the Church of Santa Maria degli Angeli, Don Giovanni Andrea Doria, 7th Prince of Melfi is invested as the first sovereign Duke of Tripolitania. To the rest of Europe this appears to be a shocking attempt by a noble to usurp his nation's new territory, but the truth is much more complicated.
Ever since the conquest of Tripoli the previous year, the Genoans have been well aware that there is little chance that they will be able to take the entirety of Tripolitania, let alone successfully govern it. As such, Doge Pietro Durazzo and his advisers have been scrambling to find a way to allow the Republic to cultivate a sphere of influence across the breadbasket of North Africa with minimal risk. In the end the Genoans, under the advice of Madrid, decide to emulate the actions of their Venetian rivals during the fourth crusader 4 centuries ago, by creating a nominal vassal state out of the new territory. At the "request" of Madrid the Prince of Melfi became the agreed upon choice, in exchange for continuing aid in the form of troops, new citizens and supplies for Tripolitania from Spain. After the initial furor dies down, the Holy League quickly accepts the new Duchy as a full member of the Christian community, with blessings from the Pope and the arrival of new ambassadors from Europe quickly following. The only problem for the first of the new Crusader states is that of a population. Aside from small communities of merchants from Italy, the vast majority of the population are Arabic and Muslim, who aren't exactly trilled about their new Catholic, Italian ruler. However, this is one problem that can be quickly remedied. With the encouragement of Spain, France and the Italian states and generous land grants, Tripolitania sees the steady immigration of thousands of Europeans over the next few decades, to the point that by 1720 the total population of European descent has reached well over 100,000. But that is in the future and for now Tripolitania is a newborn nation, one who's future has yet to be determined.
Though much of the past few years has been dominated by deaths on the battlefield, in the capitals of Europe several ancient dynasties have witnessed the gift of life. On December 29th of 1686 Archduchess Claudia Felicitas, Duchess of York gave birth to a daughter, Princess Isabella of York, to the surprise of much of the Court (her last pregnancy had been five years before, in 1681). This was followed by the births of the Duke and Duchess of Kendal's first child, Princess Charlotte Marie, on May 3rd and of the second son of the Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince John, Duke of Clarence, on June 30th. At the Court of Versailles, the Duchesse de Valois has given birth to two daughters, Élisabeth Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Valois in January 1684 and Henriette-Marie, Mademoiselle de Montargis on March 27th 1687, while her cousin-in-law gave birth to a third son, Charles, Duc de Berri, in July of 1686. But the most important birth, in the eyes of the Habsburgs, occurs shortly before the coronation of Archduke Josef as King of Hungary. On November 24th Marie Thérèse, Madame Royale & Princess of Asturias gives birth to a son, promptly named Carlos Félix. For both the Spanish and Imperial Branches, this is an incredibly joyous occasion, one that ensures the future of Habsburg rule over Spain and strengthens the ties with the House of Bourbon. However, beneath the celebratory feelings, there lies an undercurrent of worry, for the infant Archduke-Infante is already showing signs that he takes after his deceased uncle, Infante Philip Prospero: Carlos is suffering from epilepsy. Thankfully it isn't nearly as extreme as the late Infante's case, but it is still a grievous source of worry for those in the know, who pray that the Prince and Princess will quickly produce a more healthy baby, in case the worst is to happen. For now though, the infant remains the heir to both of his parent's rights to the Spanish Monarchy.
A Prince of Peace? : Archduke-Infante Carlos Félix at age 2
Finally the day of the Coronation arrives, and with it the symbolic dawn of a new era. Pressburg is packed with nobles, prelates, grand dignitaries and courtiers from across the Holy Roman Empire and Habsburg Monarchy, along with representatives from Spain, France, Great Britain, Portugal, the rest of the Holy League and the Papacy. The auspicious day opens with a salute of 101 cannons from the Pressburg Castle at around 9'o clock. Then a great procession of Regiments, magnates, bishops and other nobles, led by Emperor Leopold I and the Archduke Josef , makes its way across the city towards St. Martin's Cathedral, ensuring that the people get a good look at their new junior King. Once the precession enters the Cathedral, the ceremony formally begins. Led by Cardinal-Archbishop Leopold Karl von Kollonitsch of Esztergom, the Primate of Hungary, the Coronation begins with the Primate asking the boy King three questions- if the king agreed to protect the holy faith, if he agreed to protect the holy Church and if he agreed to protect the kingdom—to each of which the king responded, "I will."
The Archbishop then said the prayer:
Almighty and everlasting God, Creator of all things, Commander of angels, King of kings and Lord of lords, who caused your faithful servant Abraham to triumph over his enemies, gave many victories to Moses and Joshua, the leaders of your people, exalted your humble servant David to the eminence of kingship, enriched Solomon with the ineffable gifts of wisdom and peace. Hear our humble prayers and multiply your blessings upon your servant, whom in prayerful devotion we consecrate our king; that he, being strengthened with the faith of Abraham, endowed with the meekness of Moses, armed with the courage of Joshua, exalted with the humility of David and distinguished with the wisdom of Solomon, may please you in all things and always walk without offense in the way of justice. May he nourish and teach, defend and instruct your Church and people and as a powerful king administer a vigorous regimen against all visible and invisible powers and, with your aid, restore their souls to the concord of true faith and peace; that, supported by the ready obedience and glorified by the due love of these, his people, he may by your mercy ascend to the position of his forefathers and, defended by the helmet of your protection, covered with your invincible shield and completely clothed with heavenly armour, he may in total victoriously triumph and by his [power] intimidate the unfaithful and bring peace to those who fight for you, through our Lord, who by the vigor of his Cross has destroyed Hell, overcame the Devil, ascended into heaven, in whom subsists all power, kingship and victory, who is the glory of the humble and the life and salvation of his people, he who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen.
The king then prostrated himself before the altar as the Litany of the Saints was sung. After this the Archbishop anointed the king on his right forearm and between his shoulders as he said the prayer:
God, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Lord, who was anointed by his Father with the oil of gladness above his fellows, through this present sacred anointing pour over your head the blessing of the Spirit Paraclete to penetrate into your innermost heart that you may receive invisible grace and that having justly governed a temporal kingdom, you may reign with him eternally, he who alone is without sin, the King of king, living and glorified with God the Father and the Holy Spirit.
Then the Mass for the day was begun with the Archbishop saying after the Collect for the day, the additional prayer, "God who reigns over all," etc. After the Gradual and Alleluia the king was invested with the Hungarian regalia. The king was first invested and girded with the Sword of St. Stephen with the formula:
Accept this sword through the hands of bishops, who unworthy, yet consecrated by the authority of the holy apostles, impart it to you by divine ordinance for the defense of the faith of the holy Church and remember the words of the psalmist, who prophesied, saying, "Gird yourself with your sword upon your thigh, O most mighty one, that by it you may exercise equity, powerfully destroying the growth of iniquity and protect protect the holy Church of God and his faithful people. Pursue false Christians, no less than the unfaithful, help and defend widows and orphans, restore those things which have fallen into decay and maintain those things thus restored, avenge injustice and confirm good dispositions, that doing this, you may be glorious in the triumph of justice and may reign forever with the Savior of the world, whose image you bear, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, forever and ever. Amen.
The king then brandished the sword three times. The king was then crowned with the Holy Crown as the Archbishop said the formula "Accept this royal crown," etc.[6] Next the king was given the Scepter with the formula:
Accept the Rod of virtue and equity. Learn to respect the pious and to intimidate the proud; guide the straying; lend a hand to the fallen; repress the proud and raise the humble, that our Lord Jesus Christ may open to you the door, he who said of himself, "I am the Door, whoever enters by me, bu me shall be saved," and let he who is the Key of David and the Scepter of the House of Israel, be your helper, he who opens and no one may shut, who shuts and no one may open; who brings the captive out of prison, where he sits in darkness and the shadow of death, that in all things you may imitate him, of whom the Prophet David said, "Your seat, O God, endures forever; a rod of righteousness is the rod of your kingdom. You justice and hate iniquity, therefore, God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows," Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Then the Orb was placed into his left hand without any formula and the king was enthroned with the formula:
Be steadfast and hold fast to that place of which you have become heir by succession from your forefathers, now delegated to you by the authority of Almighty God and transmitted to you by us and all the bishops and servants of God and when you see the clergy draw near to the holy altar, remember to give them appropriate honor that the Mediator between God and humanity may confirm you in this royal position as the mediator between clergy and laity and that you may be able to reign with Jesus Christ, our Lord, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns forever and ever. Amen.
The Te deum was then sung followed by the responsory:
Let your hand be strengthened and your right hand be exalted. Let justice and judgment be the foundations of your throne and mercy and truth go before your face. Alleluia. Ps. Have mercy on me,... Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. Let your hand be strengthened,...
The Archbishop then said either the prayer, "God who made Moses victorious" or the prayer "Inerrant God." The people then greeted the king with the words, "Life, health, happiness, victory!" after which the Mass proceeded to its conclusion.
The most impressive part was when the sovereign in full regalia rode up an artificial hill constructed out of the soil of all parts of the kingdom on horseback. On top of the hill, the sovereign would point to the all four corners with the royal sword and swear to protect the kingdom and all its subjects. After that, the nobles and the subjects would hail their new sovereigns with cries of 'hurray' three times and paying homage.
Birth of a new era: the Archduke Josef crowned King of Hungary and Croatia
Though the Hungarian Coronation should be the last major event of the year, the French beg to differ, for in Versailles the Sun King has made up his mind over the future of Algeria. After months of debates and arguments by his ministers, Louis XIV has decided to take a page out of Genoa's playbook and rule his new dominion indirectly. On December 12th, in the hall of mirrors, the King proclaims the birth of a second Crusader state: the Kingdom of Numidia (named after the antiquity and Roman era Kingdom and province that once existed in Algeria), with Count Palatine Karl Phillip of the House of Wittelsbach as its King. The choice of a German Princeling it fill the throne of a French vassal state is surprising to some but not to those "in the know". The now King Karl has distinguished himself both in battle and at Court since his arrival in Algeria two years ago, is a member of one of the oldest Catholic dynasties on the continent and is a cousin of the Dauphine, Maria Anna Victoria. All these facts, along with Louis XIV's reluctance to provide a member of his own House or nobility with a base to potentially challenge him, combine to make the Count Palatine the best choice for the new throne.
Africa's first Christian King in centuries: Karl I of Numidia
As this year of change draws to a close, Europe is more united then ever before. Compromise is for the first time in centuries winning out. Thanks to the peace and new alliance between the Tsardom of Russia and the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and Tsar Feodor III subsequently signing the Pact of Vienna, a new front can be opened in Moldavia and the Black sea, ensuring that the Turks are once again forced to divide their forces. In Istanbul Mehmet IV is barely clinging to power, and will in fact be shortly overthrown by the Janisarries. With the fall of Hungary and much of Serbia the League is finally free to turn its attention towards the heartlands of the Balkans, Anatolia and, possibly the Holy land itself. Either way, it is clear God's light is shinning brightly on the future of Christendom.
I think that the Holy League is have too much success to have a good falling out yet. They are slicing terretory off at a rate that would make an EU4 game look good. Besides Venice should look to Cypus not Cyrenia. The Hapsburgs are rolling in the chips! 
