How exactly does one destroy a steppe? Planting forests, overgrazing or irrigation? Poisoning cattle watering holes?
The Eagle of the East, Rhomania: An Eastern Roman Timeline (1196 - 1245)
- Thread starter Averious
- Start date
The easiest way is to use fire to destroy the ecology as a Steppe is rather easy to destroy through this method; as it relies on grass repopulation to continue onwards.
Part 1; 1205-1208
1205 - Following the victories against the territories that had once been held by Kaykusraw I during the Seljuk Civil War, which had been annexed following his death at the Battle of Karalis, the Empire is forced to pull back from major advances against Arslan III and his remaining territories; the sheer bloat added to the Imperial System when these new territories were plugged in needing to be corrected. Such a delay gives Arslan III time to regroup the survivors of Karalis and slot them into his army; as well as fortifying the boundaries of Eastern Anatolia from further Roman incursion. December of 1205 is a time of merriment within the Empire; as the John Grypas returns to Constantinople for the first time in over a decade in Triumph, alongside his close friends Theodore Laskaris and John Vatatzes--during which David Komnenos serves as temporary head of the Eastern Armies.
1206 - With a period of calm offered for the first 3 months of the year, Romanos and his administration are able to firmly decree the 'Aftokratorikós' Golden Bull, legally carving the territory of the Empire up into the newly formed Astithematic units. In this time Boniface of Montferrat is given the title of Governor, and later Dux, of Strymon--which is later renamed to Normandia; with Boniface taking on the new family name of Trainos following family disagreements with his eldest son. At the insistence of John Grypas, before he returns to Anatolia with Theodore Laskaris and John Vatatzes, Theobald is given aristocratic privileges and settles in Normandia as Theobald Bloua. Upon his return to Anatolia in May 1206 John Grypas would continue the campaigns against the Seljuks, most ending in unmattered skirmishes by June 1206. In early July of 1206 Sophia Grypaina is born to Romanos V Grypas and his wife Maria Komnene, their second child--while in late July Arslan III begins his counterattack against the Romans; putting John Grypas and his staff on the backfoot as they attempt to make use their 'conquest' built army for defense. By August 1206, after much battling, John Grypas manages to lead the push against the city of Cesarea--the furthest a Roman general has campaigned since before Manzikert, however the dynamic and quickly learning Arslan III forces battle at Cesarea--and while a functional draw the wounding of John Grypas during the battle would see the 'Hammerblow' campaign put on indefinite hold. Such a hold would be made true when in December, just before Christmas, Arslan III would send a letter pushing for a peace treaty between the Empire and Seljuks as invasions from the Turkish held Taron to the far east had left Arslan III exposed in his backflank. Such a thing was agreed on in a treaty that saw utter Status Quo called--as both Romanos and Arslan III realized that continued fighting would only see them both brought down.
1207 - Several small edicts are pushed through by the Imperial Administration in an attempt to make the shift from Turkish to Roman taxation easier on the Central Anatolian populations that had been recently annexed into the Empire. Naturally the region is desolated due to both unintentional war-time damage and purposeful destruction at the hands of the Romans--as such thousands of Turkish and Islamic Roman groups cross through the Bukellarion into Seljuk territory looking for better lives; fueling the Seljuk armies and colonization efforts of the Eastern Anatolian area. In April of 1207 the relationship between the Cumans and Bulgars finally broke down--as mounting pressures and dislikes that led all the way back to Kaloyan's failure to lobby for the return of Cuman prisoners from Romanos, during his first war against the Romans, would hit a boiling point. Kaloyan is forced out of his stupor to defend his state from Cuman raids; his efforts are effective but draconian--leaving the Vlachs north of the Danube unhappy with Bulgarian rule. In early October of 1207 a coalition is officially formed between the Crusader States of Cilicia, Antioch (which also holds Tripoli) and Jerusalem (which also holds Cyprus) in order to combat both the Seljuks and the Ayyubids--with Bohemond IV of Antioch serving as the coalition's head, as the only leader among them with an impressive record (had Hugh I of Jerusalem and Cyprus not been underage he would have been the natural choice). In late October, following the news that the great Al-Adil had his eyes elsewhere, dealing with left over succession disputes between disparate dynasty members, the Crusader Coalition would quickly attack the territories between the two-halves of Jerusalem; reuniting them by early December as the Ayyubids were unable to firmly stop them. The manpower that had funneled into the Crusader States following the botched 4th Crusade proved vital to this victory.
1208 - Kaloyan's reactionary campaigns against the Cumans come to victorious conclusion at the Battle of Dorostolo in February, in which the Cumans are routed following the maiming of their Khan in battle. Revitalized by this war, Kaloyan looks to Raska, the Serbian duchy that had been a one-time-Roman-ally, as the next possible target. In an attempt to refill his troop reserves the Tsar pulls many Vlachs from their homes, as was his right as Tsar of Vlachs and Bulgars, however this would prove to simply be the final straw--as an uprising is organized by the former soldier Radu Aur in April of 1208, who declares himself Ban of the emergent state of Marea Vlahie (Great Vlachia), in remembrance for the Vlachs homeland in what is now Thessaly within the borders of Rome. The considerable Vlach presence north of the Danube, and in Dobruja, see these lands overtaken as the Vlachs fight against the 'Romanslayer'. The Vlachs are given minor aid by the Romans through naval means at their held ports in Dobruja, and even minor aid from the Cumans in the form of minor bands of Cuman horsearchers. By early June it is clear that due to a combination of factors; the Vlachs lacking much staying power outside of their population zones, and the Bulgarians lacking a large enough army to firmly deal with the Vlachs--that the war would only drag on. Kaloyan, in a move to put an end to it--and willing to, by this point, have a hand in creating a buffer state between Bulgaria and the Cumans--would sign a treaty with Radu Aur, creating him as Ban of this new state while expressly having it written that the Vlachs and their new state would look to Tarnovo instead of Constantinople in religious matters. Trade between New Rome and Vlachia begins in earnest following the war; allowing for the quick development of the Vlachian coastal towns of Dobruja as well as their capital of Câmpulung by proxy. In mid-June of 1208 Theodore Grypas is born to Romanos V Grypas and his wife Maria Komnene; with Theodore Laskaris named his Godfather. In July Kaloyan begins to enact major reforms to the Bulgarian army and how its raised; putting legal and societal pressure on his native Bulgarian population to fill the ranks and help with the defense and expansion of the homeland. Due to the movements by Bulgaria, and the general notions at the time, Romanos V orders what would become known as the Kastorian Fortresses--a long line of well-placed mountain and hill forts that are intended to create a line of defense against invasions from the north. By August of 1208 Arslan III has firmly crushed Taron; cutting down its nobility to a man and bringing the former Armenian-Turkish territory under the sway of his capital at Sebastea. Gains by the Turks are offset by Al-Adil turning his gaze firmly back on the Crusader States, seeing their efforts as breaking the treaty put in place; thus the rest of the year, from August to late December, is spent in battle between the Crusaders and Arabs; showing the surprising strength of the Crusaders--as while they were unable to push past their current borders against Al-Adil, the aged Sultan himself found it hard to maintain a grasp on these smaller states. Before Christmas of 1208 the Sultan would be forced to conclude a hasty new treaty following a sudden fever--the legendary warrior forced to return to Damascus and then Cairo to ensure that the succession he'd worked so hard to maintain is kept in order should he suddenly die.
1206 - With a period of calm offered for the first 3 months of the year, Romanos and his administration are able to firmly decree the 'Aftokratorikós' Golden Bull, legally carving the territory of the Empire up into the newly formed Astithematic units. In this time Boniface of Montferrat is given the title of Governor, and later Dux, of Strymon--which is later renamed to Normandia; with Boniface taking on the new family name of Trainos following family disagreements with his eldest son. At the insistence of John Grypas, before he returns to Anatolia with Theodore Laskaris and John Vatatzes, Theobald is given aristocratic privileges and settles in Normandia as Theobald Bloua. Upon his return to Anatolia in May 1206 John Grypas would continue the campaigns against the Seljuks, most ending in unmattered skirmishes by June 1206. In early July of 1206 Sophia Grypaina is born to Romanos V Grypas and his wife Maria Komnene, their second child--while in late July Arslan III begins his counterattack against the Romans; putting John Grypas and his staff on the backfoot as they attempt to make use their 'conquest' built army for defense. By August 1206, after much battling, John Grypas manages to lead the push against the city of Cesarea--the furthest a Roman general has campaigned since before Manzikert, however the dynamic and quickly learning Arslan III forces battle at Cesarea--and while a functional draw the wounding of John Grypas during the battle would see the 'Hammerblow' campaign put on indefinite hold. Such a hold would be made true when in December, just before Christmas, Arslan III would send a letter pushing for a peace treaty between the Empire and Seljuks as invasions from the Turkish held Taron to the far east had left Arslan III exposed in his backflank. Such a thing was agreed on in a treaty that saw utter Status Quo called--as both Romanos and Arslan III realized that continued fighting would only see them both brought down.
1207 - Several small edicts are pushed through by the Imperial Administration in an attempt to make the shift from Turkish to Roman taxation easier on the Central Anatolian populations that had been recently annexed into the Empire. Naturally the region is desolated due to both unintentional war-time damage and purposeful destruction at the hands of the Romans--as such thousands of Turkish and Islamic Roman groups cross through the Bukellarion into Seljuk territory looking for better lives; fueling the Seljuk armies and colonization efforts of the Eastern Anatolian area. In April of 1207 the relationship between the Cumans and Bulgars finally broke down--as mounting pressures and dislikes that led all the way back to Kaloyan's failure to lobby for the return of Cuman prisoners from Romanos, during his first war against the Romans, would hit a boiling point. Kaloyan is forced out of his stupor to defend his state from Cuman raids; his efforts are effective but draconian--leaving the Vlachs north of the Danube unhappy with Bulgarian rule. In early October of 1207 a coalition is officially formed between the Crusader States of Cilicia, Antioch (which also holds Tripoli) and Jerusalem (which also holds Cyprus) in order to combat both the Seljuks and the Ayyubids--with Bohemond IV of Antioch serving as the coalition's head, as the only leader among them with an impressive record (had Hugh I of Jerusalem and Cyprus not been underage he would have been the natural choice). In late October, following the news that the great Al-Adil had his eyes elsewhere, dealing with left over succession disputes between disparate dynasty members, the Crusader Coalition would quickly attack the territories between the two-halves of Jerusalem; reuniting them by early December as the Ayyubids were unable to firmly stop them. The manpower that had funneled into the Crusader States following the botched 4th Crusade proved vital to this victory.
1208 - Kaloyan's reactionary campaigns against the Cumans come to victorious conclusion at the Battle of Dorostolo in February, in which the Cumans are routed following the maiming of their Khan in battle. Revitalized by this war, Kaloyan looks to Raska, the Serbian duchy that had been a one-time-Roman-ally, as the next possible target. In an attempt to refill his troop reserves the Tsar pulls many Vlachs from their homes, as was his right as Tsar of Vlachs and Bulgars, however this would prove to simply be the final straw--as an uprising is organized by the former soldier Radu Aur in April of 1208, who declares himself Ban of the emergent state of Marea Vlahie (Great Vlachia), in remembrance for the Vlachs homeland in what is now Thessaly within the borders of Rome. The considerable Vlach presence north of the Danube, and in Dobruja, see these lands overtaken as the Vlachs fight against the 'Romanslayer'. The Vlachs are given minor aid by the Romans through naval means at their held ports in Dobruja, and even minor aid from the Cumans in the form of minor bands of Cuman horsearchers. By early June it is clear that due to a combination of factors; the Vlachs lacking much staying power outside of their population zones, and the Bulgarians lacking a large enough army to firmly deal with the Vlachs--that the war would only drag on. Kaloyan, in a move to put an end to it--and willing to, by this point, have a hand in creating a buffer state between Bulgaria and the Cumans--would sign a treaty with Radu Aur, creating him as Ban of this new state while expressly having it written that the Vlachs and their new state would look to Tarnovo instead of Constantinople in religious matters. Trade between New Rome and Vlachia begins in earnest following the war; allowing for the quick development of the Vlachian coastal towns of Dobruja as well as their capital of Câmpulung by proxy. In mid-June of 1208 Theodore Grypas is born to Romanos V Grypas and his wife Maria Komnene; with Theodore Laskaris named his Godfather. In July Kaloyan begins to enact major reforms to the Bulgarian army and how its raised; putting legal and societal pressure on his native Bulgarian population to fill the ranks and help with the defense and expansion of the homeland. Due to the movements by Bulgaria, and the general notions at the time, Romanos V orders what would become known as the Kastorian Fortresses--a long line of well-placed mountain and hill forts that are intended to create a line of defense against invasions from the north. By August of 1208 Arslan III has firmly crushed Taron; cutting down its nobility to a man and bringing the former Armenian-Turkish territory under the sway of his capital at Sebastea. Gains by the Turks are offset by Al-Adil turning his gaze firmly back on the Crusader States, seeing their efforts as breaking the treaty put in place; thus the rest of the year, from August to late December, is spent in battle between the Crusaders and Arabs; showing the surprising strength of the Crusaders--as while they were unable to push past their current borders against Al-Adil, the aged Sultan himself found it hard to maintain a grasp on these smaller states. Before Christmas of 1208 the Sultan would be forced to conclude a hasty new treaty following a sudden fever--the legendary warrior forced to return to Damascus and then Cairo to ensure that the succession he'd worked so hard to maintain is kept in order should he suddenly die.
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Currently trying to decide how I should handle historical notions in terms of characters as our current cast ages out and dies.
The easiest way to handle it is to just carry over OTL figures with minor changes to fit the world; which is something I already planned to do with major figures such as the Saint-King Louis IX—who’d have a rather interesting relationship with the Romans
I’m likely going to just keep every Pope the exact same, and work events around that—because writing out new Popes and keeping track of them would be murder on the brain.
Largely events outside of the Balkans and Middle East won’t change much, if at all, but you do get minor changes such as Otto IV taking power more firmly as Holy Roman Emperor like in our timeline.
The easiest way to handle it is to just carry over OTL figures with minor changes to fit the world; which is something I already planned to do with major figures such as the Saint-King Louis IX—who’d have a rather interesting relationship with the Romans
I’m likely going to just keep every Pope the exact same, and work events around that—because writing out new Popes and keeping track of them would be murder on the brain.
Largely events outside of the Balkans and Middle East won’t change much, if at all, but you do get minor changes such as Otto IV taking power more firmly as Holy Roman Emperor like in our timeline.
To be fair I doubt anyone could viably kill it at this stage besides the Cumans, considering that the Bulgarians are using it as a buffer state between them and the Cumans—and the Romans are using them as a new trading partner that would allow them to get one over on Bulgaria.
Also, to note, it currently looks like historical Wallachia, plus the coastal areas of modern Romania. I personally find this the best look on a map—because to be honest, while I love the Romanian people, I dislike how the country looks on a map (sorry
). Liking how it looks gives me an incentive to keep it around.Although, Hungary might eventually turn its gaze downwards, who knows. But by that point I think that Wallachia would be able to handle itself.
well, idk why having a country with the mountains inside made sense to ppl at that time, natural borders are a thing...
I mean pre ww1 was basically moldavia and wallachia, so they had the mountains between them and AHE, but the russians had bassarabia so the east looked weird(still does.).
I'm just glad we didn't end up like the african states (places square shape on map and says that's your land...)
I mean pre ww1 was basically moldavia and wallachia, so they had the mountains between them and AHE, but the russians had bassarabia so the east looked weird(still does.).
I'm just glad we didn't end up like the african states (places square shape on map and says that's your land...)
Exactly, lol.
Africa is horrific tbh, although you should see my current country of residence; South Africa. We have a pothole near the center due to a tribalistic Kingdom being given independence.
I see. The temporary solution. Steppe grasses do come back after fire, but I guess they only want grazing impossible for a few years.
The thing is that through collective desolation the area can become utterly unusable for a long time. If they were to go the full route its unlikely that the area would be able to recover; which is not what they want considering that Romanos' main plan is to make Anatolia, at least most of it, the heartland of the Roman Empire again.
This process will prove a problem in the next few years however.
While I'm working on the next major installment post I'm left wondering on several different things; such as states appearing and so on.
By this point its a given that many states that we know in modern times; such as Austria, are going to appear considering when our POD is set. But regardless of that I'd like to press a few polls and get peoples ideas on things.
So, expect a couple of polls to come rolling out to be answered!
By this point its a given that many states that we know in modern times; such as Austria, are going to appear considering when our POD is set. But regardless of that I'd like to press a few polls and get peoples ideas on things.
So, expect a couple of polls to come rolling out to be answered!
Interesting idea to be sure! Although to be honest I don't see history changing to the point that the Habsburg's don't take power.
I mean, they went extinct in 1246, maybe the Babengerg house has a revival. Though the Habsburgs also work.
Edit: Confused some stuff.
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Fair take, it’s a lot to consider.
Not sure what the consequences would be though; as I’d need to dedicate time to grasp at that sort of thing.
As an added note, I personally don’t see the HRE existing as long as it did historically considering the fact that New Rome won’t be dying anytime soon, if at all. They might fall in the 14th or 15th centuries—however I know that the HRE won’t last past the 15th.
Due to the collapse of the 4th Crusade and what it entailed Otto IV was able to defeat Philip of Swabia politically, taking the Reichskrone for himself.
I never quite specified what happened to Philip following this, so I guess we could assume that he survived. Although I don't see how this would translate into a Hohenstaufen Austria.
How would Otto avoid the political isolation in the HRE and the Staufer Capatian alliance with a collapse of the fourth crusade ?