"Io Mihailŭ, Împĕratul Românilor" - A Michael the Brave Romania Wank
- Thread starter Zagan
- Start date
Zagan
Donor
Next in TTL:
- The Aftermath of the Anti-Ottoman War: Greece, Ottoman State, Armenia, Persia, Egypt, Arabia;
- Problems (and some solutions) in the Romanian Colonies: Lebanon, Sinai, Holy Land;
- More about Romania;
- The Great Powers, Colonialism and Exploration.
Later on in TTL:
- The Death of Mihai;
- The reign of Iulia;
- Overview of Romania in 16??;
- Overview of Europe (and the known World) in 16??;
- End of Part One.
Everything with accompanying Maps, Statistics, Data, Charts, Tables, etc, as usual.
I am now able to tell you that we have progressed to about three quarters of Part One of TTL.
Part Two will probably have a different format, with shorter chapters and will certainly have a faster progression through time (with less information per decade than in Part One).
There may be no Part Three (I mean have Part Two and Part Three merged).
Anyway, as of now, I have already clear and settled:
- Almost all major events till the end of Part One;
- Most of it till around 1750;
- Bits here and there till around 1900;
- Vague ideas till Present.
I will not leave TTL unfinished. Expect it to keep going well into the next year at the least.
Thank you all again for reading, commenting, praising and criticising.
You are always welcome.
Contributions are always welcome. Just P.M. me if you want to contribute anything. Thank you in advance.
- The Aftermath of the Anti-Ottoman War: Greece, Ottoman State, Armenia, Persia, Egypt, Arabia;
- Problems (and some solutions) in the Romanian Colonies: Lebanon, Sinai, Holy Land;
- More about Romania;
- The Great Powers, Colonialism and Exploration.
Later on in TTL:
- The Death of Mihai;
- The reign of Iulia;
- Overview of Romania in 16??;
- Overview of Europe (and the known World) in 16??;
- End of Part One.
Everything with accompanying Maps, Statistics, Data, Charts, Tables, etc, as usual.
I am now able to tell you that we have progressed to about three quarters of Part One of TTL.
Part Two will probably have a different format, with shorter chapters and will certainly have a faster progression through time (with less information per decade than in Part One).
There may be no Part Three (I mean have Part Two and Part Three merged).
Anyway, as of now, I have already clear and settled:
- Almost all major events till the end of Part One;
- Most of it till around 1750;
- Bits here and there till around 1900;
- Vague ideas till Present.
I will not leave TTL unfinished. Expect it to keep going well into the next year at the least.
Thank you all again for reading, commenting, praising and criticising.
You are always welcome.
Contributions are always welcome. Just P.M. me if you want to contribute anything. Thank you in advance.
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Zagan
Donor
Oh... I have been too preoccupied with the War.
I will have to include that, won't I. It will only be one page or at most two. I will squize it alongside other internal political developements in the next chapter about Romania.
Thank you for reminding it to me.
On a completely separate issue, about Scandinavia's Colonial Acquisitions:
- How would it treat the natives (Inuits, Eskimos, North Canadian Indians, Siberians, etc)?
- Was there a lot of racism at that time?
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I'd look at the way the Denmark-Norway treated Inuits on Greenland, and how Norway and Sweden treated the Samis and Finns (specially migrating Finns from northernmost Finland who settled the forested areas). The Natives would be treated vaguely positively as long as they show themselves willing to culturally assimilate, but ultimately not thought of, as long as the cultural differences wasn't to obvious.
Depending on whos in charge of the areas in question, they'd either be pushed to culuturally assimilate (with differing aggessivity, even though at worst it was with threats of burning down their houses or imprisonment in case they used their native language) or implicitly ignored as long as they didn't flaunt it.
The spearhead through would most likely be the Lutharian Church which would mean that there would be a heavy social pressure for them to convert, as far as i can tell through there haven't been any cases of outright forced conversion, by sword or threat of deportation, 'merely' discrimination and highlighting reasons why it would be a 'good idea' to convert.
Ethnological racism wasn't common, cutural racism against 'primitives' that didn't buy into the Scandinavian thought through ...
Depending on whos in charge of the areas in question, they'd either be pushed to culuturally assimilate (with differing aggessivity, even though at worst it was with threats of burning down their houses or imprisonment in case they used their native language) or implicitly ignored as long as they didn't flaunt it.
The spearhead through would most likely be the Lutharian Church which would mean that there would be a heavy social pressure for them to convert, as far as i can tell through there haven't been any cases of outright forced conversion, by sword or threat of deportation, 'merely' discrimination and highlighting reasons why it would be a 'good idea' to convert.
Ethnological racism wasn't common, cutural racism against 'primitives' that didn't buy into the Scandinavian thought through ...
In the few years I have been a member of these forums, I have never read of a leader of an empire (especially an Ottoman Sultan from the 17th century) so embarrassed, captured, made to eat pork & wine, convert to Christianity and then finally killed by his own men. Not to mention the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire as you have also vividly illustrated in your maps.
Good work!
Zagan
Donor
In the few years I have been a member of these forums, I have never read of a leader of an empire (especially an Ottoman Sultan from the 17th century) so embarrassed, captured, made to eat pork & wine, convert to Christianity and then finally killed by his own men. Not to mention the dismemberment of the Ottoman Empire as you have also vividly illustrated in your maps.
Thank you.
So, at least I am original, am I not?
Explanation: I really dislike some countries (especially the Ottoman Empire and Soviet Union, but also a few others which I will not mention). And since there is no Soviet Union in TTL, I had to do bad things to the Ottoman Empire.
Romania and its establishment (Imperial family, etc) will get a (small) share of embarassment as well in the following chapters.
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I.47. The Imperial Family
Zagan
Donor
Starting from 1629, Emperor Mihai, already old and disillusioned,
slowly began to remove himself from his Imperial responsabilities.
slowly began to remove himself from his Imperial responsabilities.
The Imperial Family
Note: This short chapter presents some important events which took place in Romania during the Second Romanian-Ottoman War.
17 December 1629, Black Sea
The Romanian warship Biruința (The Victory) set sail in the Port of Medea (Kıyıköy), in Romanian held Ottoman Thrace, with a very important passenger: Mihai, the Emperor of the Romanians.
Mihai had decided to travel by ship because it was the fastest means of transportation available from the bloody battlefields in Thrace to his peaceful Capital. The chosen route was on the Black Sea to Qŭilia (Chilia / Kiliya), then up the Danube to Turnu (Turnu Măgurele) and then up the River Olt to Rîmnic (Râmnicu Vâlcea). Only from Rîmnic to Alba Iulia would Mihai have to take a carriage.
Mihai was upset. He was upset that he had lost his temper having received the news of the Greek armies passing through Platamona on their way to Salonika. He was angry that he had appeared foolish and reckless in front of his generals. And that they had been right and not him. But he was thanking God that the generals had had the courage to oppose him.
Mihai was also upset that extreme negligence and complacence allowed the Ottoman invasion which had brought once more death and destruction upon his people. And he was also upset that the war dragged on, claiming more lives and with no end in sight.
Mihai was not only upset. He was also worried. Worried about the future of his Country. Worried that he would not live enough for Iulia's coming of age. Worried about the looming Regency and about Cristina's and Iulia's capabilities to reign upon Romania. Worried about the Turks, the Greeks and the Hungarians, about future wars, about everything!
He was tired. He would have liked to get home before Christmas but that was surely impossible. He missed Cristina. And Maria. And Iulia. He was tired of wars, of politics, of governance, of everything. He just wanted to get home and rest in the midst of his family. Had he had an adult son... But he had not.
There is no time to lose. I am old and frail. I can die every day now. I have to teach Iulia everything I know. To get her ready for the day when she will be the Empress of the Romanians! Romania must remain strong and secure long after my reign. For all eternity!
31 December 1629, Rîmnic, Oltenia
After an almost two weeks long marine and riverine voyage, Mihai disembarked from Biruința and headed towards the carriage awaiting him in the harbour.
The man who seemed to be the leader of the carriage guard approached Mihai and greeted him.
Commander: "Să trăiești, Măria Ta! I am Commander Pătru Ștefănescu from the Romanian Secret Service."
Mihai: "Good morning, Commander."
C: "If Măria Ta does not mind, I would like to accompany Măria Ta in the carriage, because I have... extremely sensitive information."
M: "Is there anything wrong?"
C: "Please, Măria Ta, let us better talk inside the carriage."
************
M: "Tell me now! What happened?"
C: "Măria Ta, there is a problem... It seems that the Crown Princess was... At the Christmas Ball, the Prince of Bavaria treated her with impropriety..."
M: "Commander! Speak clearly and tell me exactly what happened there."
C: "I am sorry, Măria Ta, it seems that Prince Otto of Bavaria forced himself on Crown Princess Iulia."
M: "No! This cannot be true! I'll kill him myself if... Oh, no! My God! Is she hurt?"
C: "The Crown Princess is clearly very disturbed by the whole ordeal and the doctors said that she was physically hurt as well."
M: "The bastard! I'll kill him! I don't care what anyone might say. Nobody hurts my little graddaughter and gets away with it! I hope that he did not escape to Germany..."
C: "No, Măria Ta, he is under arrest. As a matter of fact, the trial will start the day after tomorrow."
M: "Trial? You mean... With a Judge and witnesses and all?"
C: "Yes, Măria Ta. The Crown Princess alerted the palace guards and then went on to file an official complaint."
M: "So, how many people know about this?"
C: "Her Majesty the Empress, the guards, the doctors, His Excellency the Judge, the Court clerks, the lawyers, the German embassy, whoever heard the commotion in the Palace... potentially many people."
M: "We have to make sure that the press is kept out of this. I do not want my subjects to talk about this horrible scandal. Can we stop the trial?"
C: "I do not think that it is advisable to interfere in the way justice is administered. We do not want the people to lose their faith in justice. About the press, the issue is very delicate. We found a few journalists near the Court and we chased them away, but I am very much afraid that someone will eventually find out."
M: "No! Shut down the papers, do something, will you!"
C: "Sure, Măria Ta, we will do whatever is necessary to contain the spread of the information regarding this unfortunate incident."
M: "Why? Why did he do such a thing? I do not understand! He is a Prince, for Christ's sake! It is not as if he could not find a woman..."
C: "As unfortunate as they are, these things do happen, probably quite frequently. The Prince did probably only attempt to secure a very good marriage. There are really quite a lot of Princes out there who would do anything to become the future Emperor of Romania!"
M: "Secure a marriage... By raping the would be bride?!"
C: "Usually the Princess wants to avoid a scandal and they are quickly married. This might be still possible..."
M: "No! I want that criminal to hang!"
C: "I do not know what the consequences might be, Măria Ta."
M: "Yes, we must not act recklessly. I will have to talk to Iulia first anyway. And what are the Germans saying about all this?"
C: "They are not happy, Măria Ta."
M: "I can imagine that. It is a disaster! This whole year has been a total disaster! It is like a curse!"
C: "..."
M: "So, now tell me again all you know about this affair. And do start with the beginning."
************
25 December 1629, Alba Iulia
As the Romanian Army was closing in on Constantinople, the war seemed to be nearing its end and everybody felt the need to celebrate. In those conditions, Empress Cristina had decided to organize a Christmas ball.
Crown Princess Iulia was the attraction of the ball. She was almost 15 years old and was to become the Empress of Romania after the death of her 72 years old grandfather. At least twenty Princes from all over Europe were eager to court her. Iulia was nice and communicative as always and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary.
We may never know what really happened that night.
What is known with certainty are only the following facts:
1. Both Iulia and Prince Otto of Bavaria were several times unaccounted for, as were other Princes and Princesses.
2. Iulia was found by two guards, running through the hallway, seemingly in a great distress.
3. Iulia was confused at first but, after she regained her composure, she declared that she had been attacked and raped by Prince Otto.
4. The guards offered to call a doctor, but Iulia refused, prefering to talk to Empress Cristina first. Iulia would be seen by several doctors the following morning.
5. As Iulia was unable to pinpoint the exact room where the assault had taken place, the guards began to search all the rooms on the right side of the hallway.
6. Prince Otto was found alone in one of the rooms. When taken into custody, he protested vigurously. When questioned, he denied everything.
7. Later that night, Iulia filed an official complaint against the Prince. An investigation was started and a trial was called for the 2nd of January.
26-31 December 1629, Alba Iulia
The Romanian Secret Service was involved in the investigation from the very beginning and a high profile Secret Service Commander was immediately sent to Rîmnic to inform the Emperor.
After filing the complaint, Iulia refused to talk to the investigators. Cristina told them that Iulia was crying all the time. However, Cristina apparently allowed a lawyer to talk to Iulia.
The German Ambassador protested the incarceration of Prince Otto and insisted that the trial should be completely fair. A team of German lawyers was hired and began a separate investigation.
Since the telegraph had not yet reached Germany, any communications with the German authorities were to be extremely slow and ineffective.
Realizing that something important was going on, several journalists started to ask questions around the Courthouse. They were intimidated by the Secret Service and left. However, the danger remained. There were simply too many people that knew something about what had happened.
1 January 1630, Alba Iulia
Princess (Dowager) Maria: "Iulia, go to your room. Mother has important things to discuss with... the Empress."
Iulia: "Good bye, mother. Bye Cristina. You know where I am if you need me."
************
Cristina: "What is it Maria?"
PM: "There is no secret that I disliked you from the very beginning. From the first moment I met you."
C: "Yes. It is so obvious that it could hardly have been kept a secret."
PM: "Ha, ha. What a joke. So, in the beginning I was not sure about the reasons I disliked you. Actually it was just a hunch. Now I am sure. Now I know why I hate you!"
C: "That is very interesting. Please, go on."
PM: "I hate you because of your pernicious influence on the Emperor and especially on my daughter! I hate you because you made a mere puppet out of our Emperor..."
C: "Oh. And how did I manage that?"
PM: "With your [censored], you whore! And then you bewitched my daughter..."
C: "Also with my...? You know..."
PM: "Yes, don't pretend you don't understand, you... miserable witch! I know everything about you and the unnatural acts with which you perverted my daughter!
C: "Unnatural acts, witch, are you insane? I cannot follow you."
PM: "I mean, sapphic! You disgraced my daughter and transformed her into a sapphic pervert! I want you to leave my daughter alone, or else..."
C: "Or else?"
PM: "I swear to God that I will kill you."
C: "Interesting. So, let me recapitulate it for you. First you committed Lèse-majesté several times: You called the Emperor a puppet, then the Empress a whore, a witch and a sapphist and finally the Crown Princess a sapphist as well. And in the end of your tirade, you committed treason by threatening the life of the Empress. Is this correct? Or did I forget anything?"
PM: "You have no proof. Nobody will believe the word of a foreigner instead of the word of a Romanian boyar!"
C: "Guards! Enter my room now!"
************
C: "Did you hear the Princess shouting? What did she say?"
************
C: "Remember that I may have to call you to repeat in a Court of Law what you have heard here today. You are excused now."
************
C: "You are really, really stupid! After you insulted me several times, you had the nerve to insult even the Emperor himself... Yes, he told me about your little discussion. What a pity that he dismissed your attitude as mere hysteria! But now, really, how long did you think that I will tolerate your behaviour? Well, it seems that I have tolerated you way too much."
PM: "Iulia will never talk to you again if you have me killed."
C: "That is very much correct. Just that I have never thought of having you killed. You are clearly insane and I will have you admitted to a sanatorium for the mentally ill for the rest of your life. Our doctors will try all kinds of new, interesting approaches in order to try and cure your dangerous insanity."
PM: "But... That is worse than death..."
C: "Yes, I know. That's why I will consider forgiving you... If you beg nicely. And if you choose a monastery somewhere far, far away. You should tell Iulia that you decided to serve God. She will believe you, I can assure you of that!"
PM: "Will I ever see my daughter again?"
C: "But of course. She can visit you there anytime she so desires. Of course, she may not choose to visit you very often. Do you remember how often did you visit your own child? Do you remember how you used to leave her with her nanny for weeks in a row? I can assure you that she remembers it very well."
PM: "Have mercy, please..."
C: "Get on your knees now!..."
************
[Text removed as not being family-friendly]
2 January 1630, Alba Iulia
The trial of Prince Otto of Bavaria, acused of raping Crown Princess Iulia of Romania, commenced in the Alba Iulia Courthouse.
Prince Otto declared that he was completely innocent.
He admitted that he had talked and danced with Iulia at the ball, but insisted that they had never even been alone in a room and consequently that they had never had any intercourse.
Several witnesses testified, but added very little to the case.
3 January 1630, Alba Iulia
Iulia testified amid tears and sobs, creating an extremely vivid and grousome picture of the event. Most of those present were deeply shocked.
The defendant began to yell "Liar" and was promptly removed from the Courtroom.
After a short recess, three doctors testified, corroborating Iulia's testimony.
The case seemed clear, but the lawyer of the defence called for an independent medical examination of Iulia.
Iulia's lawyer protested, apparently because of the long time which had passed since the assault.
The Judge accepted the request of the defence.
4 January 1630, Alba Iulia
A commission formed of four doctors, two Romanians and two Germans was rapidly assembled and performed a thorough medical check on Iulia.
Mihai arrived in Alba Iulia but wisely did not interfere in the trial.
5 January 1630, Alba Iulia
All four doctors declared that the private parts of Iulia presented clear signs of trauma consistent with a recent and brutal defloration. One of the German doctors remarked however that the trauma may had been self-inflicted. The Judge was outraged.
The defendant did not attempt to change his story, continuing to profess his innocence.
7 January 1630, Alba Iulia
The Judge pronounced Prince Otto guilty and sentenced him to death by beheading (since he was a noble, he would not hang). The sentence was to be executed after a period of one month.
The Prince continued to be defiant.
************
Mihai: "Cristina, please leave me and Iulia alone for a couple of minutes."
Cristina: "But Mihai, Iulia is very traumatized and..."
M: "I told you to leave us alone. And do not worry, I will be very gentle with her."
************
I: "Yes, granddaddy. I am feeling better now. We can talk about it if you want to."
M: "I can see that you are happy that the trial is over."
I: "Yes, sure. And I am happy that we won it."
M: "So... Tell me, are you happy that that man will be beheaded?"
I: "Oh, no, granddaddy, no. I would prefer you to spare his life."
M: "I see. He attacked you, did those horrible things to you and hurt you. And now you want me to spare his life."
I: "I don't really know, granddaddy. I suppose that you will think about it and choose the best solution."
M: "Have you considered forgiving him? And getting married?..."
I: "Never! I could never again let that man touch me! In fact I don't think I could let any man touch me ever again! Can't you understand?"
M: "... I have one more question for you. At the trial... Were you completely sincere? I mean... Did everything actually happen the way you testified?"
I: "Of course! How can you doubt me?"
M: "I don't know. I just wanted to make sure."
Iulia started yelling and crying. Cristina came back in and began to hug and kiss Iulia while crying herself. Mihai got out in silence.
8-21 January 1630, Alba Iulia
The German Empire threatened war if Prince Otto was executed. The German Army started to mobilize on the Hungarian border.
The story was published in all German newspapers. Most of the articles supported the innocence of their Prince. Some newspapers were smuggled into Romania.
The Romanian Senate asked Mihai to show clemency to the Bavarian Prince.
Princess Dowager Maria of Romania decided to become a nun and left Alba Iulia for a beautiful Moldavian monastery built by her illustrious ancestor, Stephen the Great of Moldavia.
Cristina had just removed one obstacle from her road to power. And if Iulia would never get married, everything will fold in place very nice for Cristina.
22 January 1630, Alba Iulia
The Emperor exercised his right to commute the sentence of Prince Otto from death to 20 years in prison.
The looming war with Germany was narrowly avoided but the relations between the two Empires were going to remain strained for decades.
Mihai, Cristina, Iulia and the little Maria enjoyed a serene evening around the warmth provided by the somptuous fireplace.
Cristina and Iulia were playing chess, Maria was playing with her toys and Mihai was looking through the window, far, far away, into the nothingness.
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Zagan
Donor
Holy sh@t! Cristina is one scheming b#tch.
Something like this. However, her overall influence upon the Romanian State and Society will be very positive.
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Whos is that prince of Bavaria? Is it the prince of the crown or just some local prince?
Zagan
Donor
Bavaria is a State of the German Empire, not a Sovereign State.
Prince Otto is not the Crown Prince of Bavaria, he is the younger brother of the Crown Prince.
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Map #34. Administrative and Ethnographic Map of Romania
Zagan
Donor
Administrative & Ethnographic Map of Romania
Legend:
1. Corfu & Paxi (Venetian / Italian territory under Romanian administration)
2. Marmara Demilitarized Zone (Turkish / Ottoman territory)
3. Islands of Thasos and Samothrace (to Occidental Thrace Province)
4. Snake Island (to Bessarabia Province)
5. Sand Spit bought from Sarmatia in order to build a lighthouse and other amenities there (to Edisan Province)
6. Venice / Italy (Istria, Dalmatian Islands, Southern Dalmatia, Valona)
7. Greece (Aegean Islands, Mikrasia)
8. Turkey / Ottoman State (Constantinople & environs)
Ethnography:
Red #1: > 90% Romanians (darkest)
Red #2: > 80% Romanians
Red #3: > 70% Romanians
Red #4: > 60% Romanians
Red #5: ~ 25% Romanians (lightest; Eastern Thrace)
Transparent: Not Romanian territory (negligable or no Romanian population)
Provinces:
1. Ardeal (Transylvania proper)
2. Temișana (Banat)
3. Crișana (Lower Partium)
4. Someșana (Upper Partium)
5. Maramureș
6. Pocuția (Pokuttya)
7. Moldova de Sus (Upper Moldavia)
8. Moldova de Jos (Lower Moldavia)
9. Basarabia (Bessarabia)
10. Edisan (Transnistria)
11. Muntenia (Greater Wallachia)
12. Oltenia (Lower Wallachia)
13. Dobrogea (Dobrudja)
14. Bulgaria
15. Moesia
16. Tracia Orientală (Eastern Thrace)
17. Tracia Occidentală (Western Thrace)
18. Macedonia de Sus (Upper Macedonia)
19. Macedonia de Jos (Lower Macedonia)
21. Epir (Epirus)
22. Albania
23. Cosovo (Kosovo)
24. Muntenegru (Montenegro)
25. Servia (Serbia)
26. Illiria (Herzegovina?)
27. Bosnia
28. Slavonia
29. Tissa
Notes:
1. You may want to check the previous Administrative Map of Romania.
- Pannonia was disolved (most of it was ceded to Hungary, a small area was merged into Slavonia);
- Thessaly was disolved (it was ceded to Greece in its entirety);
- Slavonia lost a significant area (ceded to Croatia) and gained a small area (from Pannonia);
- Epirus lost a small area (ceded to Greece);
- Lower Macedonia lost a small area (ceded to Greece) but gained a significant area from the Ottoman Empire;
- Western Thrace gained a large area from the Ottoman Empire (doubling its size);
- Eastern Thrace gained a large area from the Ottoman Empire (increasing its size more than tenfold as it had been nothing more than a stub).
2. That small piece of land in the Danube Delta (the Secondary Delta of the Chilia Arm of the Danube) is not Romanian because it did not exist in 16xx at all! Sediments created that land in the last four centuries!
3. Province numbers 20 (Thessaly) and 30 (Pannonia) were never reassigned, so the numbering of the provinces had gaps.
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Probably our greater romania would be their little romania, like great britain who has england or germany who had prussia.
Zagan
Donor
Or Old Romania, like the Romanian Old Kingdom from OTL.
A new Chapter is being written right now and will be online in a few hours.
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Zagan
Donor
Starting in about 1638. Everything will be in place and running in about 1644. These things take time.
I will not disclose its location.
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I.48. Remapping the Middle East
Zagan
Donor
In the Peace of Adrianople, Romania bit off more than it could chew.
Remapping the Middle East
The Second Anti-Ottoman War and the troubled post-war years drastically altered the political map of the Middle East as well as the balance of power in the whole region.
What in 1629 still used to be a strong and cohesive Ottoman Empire ruling over most of the Middle East had morphed in less than a decade into a patchwork of independent, autonomous and dependent territories:
- The Ottoman State (loose conglomerate of semi-independent states recognizing the Sultan in Constantinople as Sovereign)
--- Constantinople (with environs)
--- Turkey (Central Anatolia)
--- Levant (Greater Syria)
--- (Greater) Mesopotamia
--- The Marmara Demilitarized Area
- Egypt (including Cyrenaica and parts of the Sudan)
- African States (with varying degrees of statal organization) on the Red Sea Coast and in the Horn of Africa, most of them bordering Christian Ethiopia
- The Caliphate of Arabia (with no clear-cut borders) in the Western part of the Arabian Peninsula (while claiming it all)
- Arab States (with varying degrees of statal organization) on the Persian Gulf Coast
- Annexed to Greece
--- (Most of) the Aegean Islands
--- Cyprus
--- The Chalcidic Peninsula (including Salonica and Mount Athos)
--- (Part of) Mikrasia (including Smyrna)
- Annexed to Romania
--- (Most of) Ottoman Thrace and (part of) Ottoman Macedonia
--- The Islands of Thasos and Samothrace
- Annexed to Georgia
--- The Territory of Batum
- Annexed to Armenia
--- (Part of) Ottoman Armenia (Western Armenia)
- Romanian Colonies
--- (Greater) Lebanon (autonomous)
--- The (Greater) Holy Land (including Jerusalem with special status)
--- (Greater) Sinai (semi-autonomous, including the Canal Zone, with special status)
Neighbouring States:
- Persia (which recognized the independence of Eastern Armenia)
- Oman
- Yemen
- Ethiopia
- Iberian North Africa (the Colony of Tripolitania)
In the following paragraphs, we will have an overview of some of these states and territories.
The Ottoman State
After the Peace of Adrianople, the Ottoman Empire was in total disarray.
In just two years of disastruous war, it had been halfed in both territory and population. Its army was shattered, having lost over 200,000 casualties and about as many prisoners of war, who were going to work in Romania for several years at the least. The Capital of the Empire was almost completely leveled after a year of near continuous shelling and raging fires. Most of the buildings were completely destroyed and less than 200,000 people still lived between the rubble, out of a pre-war population of about 700,000. More than 200,000 civilians had been killed by the bombings, the fires and the ensuing famine and pestilence. The situation of the 300,000 homeless refugees was abysmal.
To make things even worse, there was no money left in the State coffers. The Ottoman Empire was utterly and completely bankrupt and the situation seemed hopeless. The State needed money to cater for the dying refugees, to rebuild Constantinople, to gather new armies and to undertake the difficult logistical problem of moving more than a million Muslims, Greeks and Armenians in and out the territories which were going to become part of Greece and Armenia.
The internal political situation was even more severe.
Three Sultans had died violently in less than one year:
- The first was decisevely defeated in battle in Romania, captured, grossly humiliated and then ripped apart by his own troops.
- The second was killed in the shelling of the Topkapi Palace, together with two of his brothers.
- The third, a seven years old child, was murdered with his mother and little brother by a rival who subsequently assumed the throne.
All over the rump Empire, the local Ottoman power structures were quickly disintegrating. In Mesopotamia and the Levant, the authority of the central Government was almost non-existent.
Somehow, the State did not crumble altogether. The Pashas, now turned into warlords, allied among themselves, curtailed drastically the powers of the Sultan and started to reform the State to suit their agenda.
In a few years, the former Ottoman Empire started to emerge from the abyss as a decentralized loose federal structure called the Ottoman State.
The Sultan was a figurehead whose direct control was limited to the City of Constantinople and its immediate hinterland, while the three Eyalets of Turkey, Levant (Syria) and Mesopotamia were ruled by a coalition of powerful Pashas.
Fearing a renewed Christian assault, the Ottoman State respected all the provisions of the Adrianople and Smyrna Peace Treaties. While it can be speculated whether the Christian Powers could have dealt the coup de grace to the crumbling Ottoman State and conquer it whole, most historians consider that holding it would not have been feasable.
In 1635, as the population exchanges were mostly complete, the Ottoman State removed its armies and administration from Western Armenia and Mikrasia and ceded control of those territories to the Armenians and respectively Greeks.
In 1640, the Ottoman State was once again relatively stable, but so weakened that it was obvious that it posed absolutely no danger to its neighbours anymore.
The Ottoman State consisted of five parts:
1. Constantinople and its hinterland, under the direct control of the Sultan;
2. The Eyalet of Turkey (most of central Anatolia);
3. The Eyalet of the Levant (Greater Syria);
4. The Eyalet of Mesopotamia;
5. The Marmara Demilitarized Zone (a narrow sliver of land between the Black Sea, the Constantinople Area, the Marmara Sea, the Aegean Sea and the Romanian border, including the Galipolli Peninsula and most of the Marmaran Islands and Peninsulas).
Romania continued to claim the Marmara Demilitarized Zone and made several failed attempts to buy it from the severely indebted Ottoman State.
Egypt
The Kingdom of Egypt had a smooth birth, benefiting from the lack of war or internal conflict and the presence of an intact Ottoman administration which was quickly adopted in its entirety by the new State.
In 1630, Egypt acquired Cyrenaica in exchange for the Sinai (the Treaty of Alexandria) and occupied it with ease. In the following years, Egypt consolidated its rule over the Sudan and continued to expand Southwards on the Nile River Valley and on the Red Sea Coast. By 1640, the Egyptians had made contact with Ethiopia.
In 1633, Egypt was unsuccessful in an attempt to conquer the Arabian Caliphate, although it had managed to take Mecca and keep it for a couple of months.
In 1640, Egypt was a relatively stable, powerful and prosperous country.
Greece
Greece had been probably the biggest winner of the war, nearly tripling its territory and population in less than a decade, by annexing all the Aegean Islands (except Thasos and Samothrace which went to Romania), Cyprus, the Chalcidic Peninsula, Salonika and the huge region of Mikrasia.
By all means, the Greeks should have been more than content. But they were not.
The Greek Nation had suffered enormous sacrifices (more than 40,000 military casualties, more than 200,000 ethnic Greeks murdered by the Ottoman Empire and another 100,000 or so killed during the Romanian bombing of Constantinople) and there was a general feeling that they should have received a much larger part of Asia Minor and, of course, Constantinople, the supreme prize.
In fact, it is possible that the Greeks would not have been content with anything short of reviving the Byzantine Empire.
In 1640, Greece was a Middle Power with an area of circa 170,000 km sq. and about 2 million inhabitants, almost all of them ethnic Greeks.
The ego of the Greek Nation however was that of a Great Power and that was going to cause serious trouble in the following years.
Armenia
Unlike the Greeks, the Armenians were more than happy with the unexpected and almost miraculous creation of a united Armenian State encompassing both Ottoman Armenia and Persian Armenia. The fact that the Armenian State was smaller than the largest territorial extent of an ancient Armenian Kingdom did not bother them very much.
In 1640, Armenia was a landlocked peaceful country with an area of circa 170,000 km sq. and about 1,6 million inhabitants, most of them ethnic Armenians.
Persia
Alarmed by the recent victories of the European Powers against their Islamic neighbours (the Tatars, the Circassians, the Barbary States, the Ottoman Empire), Persia engaged in diplomatic talks with the European Great Powers and managed to reach a modus vivendi with them.
In the end, in exchange with some internal reforms (equality in front of the law of all the Persians irrespective of their faith and some other progressive measures) and a small territorial concession (independence for Eastern Armenia), Persia received security guarantees from the Great Powers Council and Observer Status.
In 1640, Persia was on its way of turning into a modern European-style Nation State.
The Romanian "Colonies"
Although Romania had received de jure the Ottoman territories of Lebanon, the Holy Land and Cyrenaica, it had absolutely no de facto control over any of them.
With no Romanian soldier to ever set foot there, Cyrenaica was swapped with Egyptian controlled Sinai which was transferred to the Romanian adminstration in good order by the retreating Egyptians.
In 1632, Romanian engineers began to assess the feasability, cost and duration for the excavation of a canal to link the Mediterranian Sea with the Red Sea.
The Canal, christened the Sinai Canal, began to be dug in 1634. The monumental engineering effort was to be completed 16 years later.
Romania employed locals, Egyptians (as per the Treaty of Alexandria) and slaves (Gypsies and Ottoman prisoners brought from Romania).
A population exchange with Egypt transformed the Sinai in a Coptic majority region, ruled by Romania as an Autonomous Coptic Province.
Several low-intensity wars were fought with the neighbouring invading Arabs and the Sinai panhandle (on the Eastern Coast of the Aqaba Gulf) was de facto lost. Many years will have to pass before Romania would be able to efficiently project power in the Arabian Peninsula.
With the Ottoman authorities gone, the Lebanon Maronites filled the power void the best they could and, in 1632, welcomed the Romanian Colonial authorities. Population exchanges with the Levant increased the Christian majority of Lebanon which was ruled as an Autonomous Maronite Province, with the exclusion of the Druze, Shia and Sunni communities.
The Holy Land proved to be the most difficult to control of the three Colonies.
After the retreat of the Ottoman authorities, the local Muslim majority took control of Jerusalem and proclaimed an independent Muslim State which managed to impose its rule over much of the Holy Land before the arrival of the Romanians.
In 1633, the Romanian Navy managed to capture Jaffa and retain it in spite of the furios Muslim counter-attacks.
During the following years, the Romanian Army slowly pushed the Muslims back towards Jerusalem, thus extending the Romanian controlled territory.
In 1638, the Romanians captured Jerusalem and the Muslim revolt was finally crushed.
In order to molify the local Muslim population and the Muslim neighbours of the Holy Land, Romania had promissed to allow Jerusalem to be an Autonomous City with Special Status, allowing free passage and worship for all people of the book. Romania kept its promise.
Wanting to decrease the Muslim majority in the Holy Land, the Romanian authorities encouraged the immigration of Christians from the neighbouring lands, Romania and the rest of Europe, with very limited success.
Confronted with the very low number of Christian immigrants, the Romanian Colonial authorities made a far-reaching decision: to allow unrestricted Jewish immigration into the Holy Land.
In the 17th century, the prevalent European antijudaism had worsened dramatically in parallel with the rise of Nationalism in the European Nation States. Eager to escape the worsening persecutions, many European Jews gladly took the offer and began to come to the Holy Land, where they received land as colonists and thus started to alter the demographic balance of the region.
By 1640, more than 70,000 Jews had immigrated to the Holy Land.
In 1640, Romanian control over its Colonies was still tenuous.
Lebanon was a de facto quasi-independent Maronite State in a permanent low-intensity state of internal conflict with its confessional minorities. Besides collecting a small amount of taxes, the position of the Romanian Governor was mostly symbolic.
The Holy Land was only partially pacified with some isolated pockets of Muslim insurgency still to be reduced. The Left Bank of River Jordan was completely under Muslim control.
The thinly spread Romanian authorities depended more and more on the Jewish settlers for exerciting any meaningful control over the territory.
Jerusalem had a Special Status, being some king of Free City and enjoying a high degree of internal Autonomy. The Romanians collected some taxes from the pilgrims.
Sinai was mostly peaceful, with the obvious exception of the Easternmost areas which were either constantly raided or under the permanent occupation of the Arabs.
The Christian Copts ran most of the territory as an Autonomous State, duly paying their taxes to the Romanian authorities.
The Canal Zone was de facto separated from the rest of Sinai, being under undisputed and complete Romanian military and administrative control.
Work on the Canal was underway.
The "Population Exchanges"
Population exchanges (voluntary or compulsory) were one the natural consequences of the early European Nationalism and like many other European ideas, they creeped outside Europe as well.
Mandated by the Great Powers Council and hailed as a panacea of solving ethnic conflicts, population exchanges became common and increasingly ample in their scope.
These are some of the most important population exchanges carried on between 1625 and 1640:
- Romania-Hungary*
- Romania-Greece*
- Romania-Croatia*
- Romania-Turkey*
- Greece-Italy*
- Germany-Hungary*
- Germany-Sarmatia
- Turkey-Greece*
- Turkey-Armenia*
- Turkey-Georgia*
- Syria-Lebanon
- Egypt-Sinai
Interestingly, none of them was in Western Europe.
* = accompanied by (or as a result of) border changes.
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