1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 208 Black Knight

As Isaac stroked the delicate drawing, a memory came to his mind.

In the original time and space, the scale of the civil war in the Mamluk Dynasty was not so large. Although the various factions in the country were still fighting openly and secretly, they still managed to survive the second half of the fifteenth century.

The Mamluk Empire had a very advantageous geographical location, connecting the Mediterranean world and the Indian Ocean world, and attracted merchants from the Christian world and the Arab world to do business here.

With the interruption of the Silk Road and the decline of the Golden Horde, the East-West trade routes gradually moved southward. The Mamluk Dynasty got the first taste of the Indian Ocean trade, happily acting as a "trader" between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean and reaping the benefits of trade.

The good times did not last long. The Republic of Venice rose rapidly, defeated its old rival the Republic of Genoa, and started a centuries-long monopoly on trade in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Although the Mamluk Empire had a vast territory, a large population, and a strong army, it was helpless against the aggressive Venetian profiteers.

They have no navy.

Unlike the Ottoman Empire, which was also a Muslim country, the Mamluk Empire never had a powerful fleet that matched its national strength. There are many reasons for this.

First, the Mamluk Empire was a country founded and controlled by slaves. These slave lords who made their fortunes through land warfare were not interested in the navy. Even if the Sultan wanted to develop the navy, domestic resistance would make it difficult to proceed.

Second, the Mamluk dynasty had almost no naval tradition. The Nile Delta was too fertile, and the people could get sufficient harvests by cultivating the three acres of land in front of their homes. They did not need to survive on the sea like the ancient Greeks. Marine fisheries were relatively weak, and commerce was very special. There were not many fishermen who could swim, and therefore not enough sailors.

If the first two shortcomings could be compensated by the encouragement and support of the state, then the third reason was the most deadly knife, stabbing the Mamluks' heart that yearned for the ocean.

The Mamluks were short of wood.

The Egyptian region has a subtropical steppe desert climate with almost no precipitation, no large forests at all, and no wood available for building large ships.

Although the Levant region has a Mediterranean climate, it also does not have many forests and is not suitable for the development of the shipbuilding industry.

Isaac knew that although the Syrian region was suitable for agricultural development, its forest coverage rate was only a pitiful 3%. The little wood that existed was located in the mountains and hills, making it difficult to use directly.

It is precisely because of this that the Mamluk Dynasty, restricted by natural geographical factors, has never been able to make any achievements in the navy and has been suppressed by the distant naval power Venice.

What? You don't want to sell me the merchandise?
Come on, let me see who else dares to take it!

Later, after negotiations, the Mamluks and Venice reached an alliance, in which each side made concessions and gained what it needed. This commercial alliance lasted for many years.

The gains from the Indian Ocean trade were great, enough for them to share.

Also because of the lack of trees, the Mamluks were unable to form a fleet on the Red Sea, and even the merchant fleet they directly controlled was pitifully small. They were basically on the receiving end of goods in the Indian Ocean trade, and by intercepting the Red Sea, they collected huge tariffs from Arab merchants conducting Indian Ocean trade.

Asking them to go to India to collect the goods themselves is really asking too much.

However, all this changed completely with the opening of the new sea route. A new enemy appeared before the Mamluks and Venice, directly threatening their vital interests.

Long ago, several wise rulers of the Mamluk dynasty realized the importance of the navy to trade, and sent envoys to their old partner Venice to purchase warships and ordered a number of ships.

In order to deal with the Portuguese fleet that was causing trouble in the Indian Ocean, the Mamluk dynasty put a long-forgotten crazy plan back on the agenda, hoping to build an unparalleled giant warship, transport it to the Red Sea by land sailing, and destroy the Portuguese fleet in one fell swoop.

The crazy Mamluks revived the plan, and the even crazier Venetians actually put it into practice.

So, on that day, a giant warship with a full load of more than 3,500 tons set sail in the Mediterranean Sea. Its hull was sturdy and its firepower was fierce, far surpassing all the warships in the world at that time.

In front of her, the flagships of all countries, including the Republic of Venice itself, felt ashamed.

This giant warship carried the hopes of the Mamluk dynasty and was tasked with defending against the Portuguese fleet.

In order to deify this sense of mission, the Mamluks gave this giant battleship a very nice name.

Cairo's Sun!
However, because the Mamluk dynasty's sailors were so poor and the quality of the navy was so low, this giant ship was unable to play any role at all - the Cairo Star was captured on the spot by several small boats of the Knights Hospitaller when passing near Rhodes, and it didn't even have time to fire a single shot.

Later, the Shine of Cairo became the flagship of the Knights Hospitaller and was renamed Santa Maria until the launch of another giant ship, Santa Anna, several decades later.

After the Knights Hospitaller were driven out of Rhodes by Suleiman the Magnificent, the Santa Maria served as the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller, drifting on the sea with the knights for a full eight years, accompanying them through the most difficult period of their lives.

Isaac held the blueprint, which was the result of the hard work of countless shipbuilding masters in Venice, and felt a surge of ecstasy in his heart.

According to the date on the blueprint, this crazy plan was first formulated in 1453. The Mamluk Sultan Chakmak at that time was a relatively capable man. He formulated this plan to strengthen the navy and resist the attacks and invasions of the Knights Hospitaller and the Eastern Roman Empire.

However, with the death of Sultan Chakmak and the civil war within the Mamluk Empire, the plan was shelved and somehow fell into Colleoni's hands.

As for Venice, the merchants of the Grand Council have never been very fond of this pure tool of war, and prefer fast paddle ships that can be used for both military and commercial purposes.

In fact, the fleet of the Republic of Venice is mainly composed of private fleets of various wealthy families. If such a giant ship is really built, the ownership of the ship will become a problem.

For Isaac, this was not just a blueprint, but also the crystallization of the shipbuilding industry of the Republic of Venice, which was of extraordinary significance.

If this blueprint could be understood, the shipbuilding industry of the Eastern Roman Empire would surely make great progress, and would provide considerable help in the subsequent formation of the Atlantic Fleet and the East India Fleet.

Rather than being a giant warship, the Cairo is more like a sea fortress, with a complete medical room, livestock pens, barracks, warehouses, blacksmith shops, navigation rooms, game rooms, and weapons and armor workshops.

Under extreme circumstances, the Cairo Star can carry more than 2,000 people. After the warehouse is filled, it is enough to sustain for several months without docking. It has its own hematopoietic ability and can independently undertake cross-sea combat missions.

In addition, the Cairo has wide sides, enough to carry hundreds of naval artillery, and its firepower is extremely strong, enough to wipe out any enemy who dares to engage in close combat.

This giant ship was at the forefront of its time in terms of scale and was the pinnacle of late carrack sailing ships, surpassing the 1420-ton early carrack ship "God" built by King Henry V of England in 2750 for the Hundred Years' War between England and France.

With the progress of the times, shipbuilding technology gradually matured, and the tactics of relying on numerous paddle boats to fight boarding battles became increasingly outdated, and the era of cannons and giant ships was about to arrive.

In the Battle of Diu, which determined the fate of the Indian Ocean, Portugal defeated the encirclement of more than 2,000 small warships of the combined fleets of India, Mamluks, Venice and Ottomans with only 18 main battleships, establishing the Portuguese Kingdom's hegemony over the Indian Ocean.

If Isaac could really complete the construction of this giant ship, it could go to the Mediterranean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the English Channel, the North Sea, the Baltic Sea, and so on.
Don't agree? Beat me!

"Somebody come!"

Thinking of this, Isaac became very excited and quickly called his servants.

"Go and give this blueprint to Mansreti and ask him to study and improve it in a targeted manner. Give him eight years to build this battleship!"

……

The Great Hungarian Plain, on the banks of the Danube, on the outskirts of Pest.

On the lush green grass, a cavalry in full black armor galloped past, creating black whirlwinds on the grassland. The knights on horseback were skilled in riding and martial arts, and it was obvious that they had been in battle for a long time.

On the knights' iron-black breastplates, there was a lifelike raven carved.

On the high platform nearby, the 20-year-old King of Hungary, King of Croatia and Grand Duke of Transylvania, Matthias I Hunyadi, were the first to applaud with big smiles on their faces.

"Sir Sfrangis, who is more powerful, my Black Army or your Armored Paladins?"

Matthias looked at the old man next to him with a smile. The old man was wearing a traditional Roman robe and had a kind smile on his face.

"Everyone has his own merits."

"How come they have their own merits?"

Matthias asked, his smile growing even wider.

"As far as I know, your Black Army includes infantry, artillery, light cavalry and heavy cavalry. It is a well-organized army that can fight independently. The Armored Paladins are just heavy cavalry used for decisive battles and are far smaller in size than your Black Army."

Matthias nodded when he saw that this old man who came from afar had some knowledge. "Oh? In terms of scale, they are far inferior. So, in terms of quality, which one is better, the Armored Paladins or the Black Army Heavy Cavalry?"

Sfrangis looked into Matthias' eyes, and seeing that he meant no harm, he spoke slowly.

"I'm afraid our armored paladins are superior."

"Why?"

"The thickness of your Black Army Heavy Cavalry's armor is inferior to that of our Ironclad Paladins, and their horses are not armored either, so their charge is naturally not as powerful as our Ironclad Paladins."

Sfrangis explained, using his military knowledge.

"You are a veteran on the battlefield, so you naturally know that when the quality of cavalry is similar, heavy armor is better than light armor."

"If two heavy cavalry units of the same size collide, your Black Army's heavy cavalry will not be able to defeat them at all."

"but……"

Seeing the grim expressions of the black army generals around him, Sfrangis changed the subject.

"Your Black Army's heavy cavalry is not meant for decisive battles. The Black Army is mainly composed of infantry and light cavalry. These soldiers are all mercenaries from Bohemia, Germany, and Hungary. They are very experienced in combat and will surely be able to show their prowess on the battlefield."

These words hit the generals' hearts right away. They looked at this old Greek man and immediately found him much more pleasing to the eye.

"Haha, I guess you must have put a lot of thought into this powerful army?"

“They will repay me.”

Matthias gave Sfrangis a meaningful look.

The Black Army is the first standing mercenary force in Europe. It has a large number of soldiers, exceeding 10,000 when fully staffed. They are well-trained and can move freely.

Unlike his father who was known as the "White Knight", Matthias was called the "Black Knight" by people. It is not known whether it came from his brave and warlike Black Army.

Of course, there are also nobles who call him "Korwen" based on the family coat of arms, which means "King of Ravens."

In order to support the Black Army, a standing army, Matthias really put in a lot of effort. Not only did he fight a series of battles with the domestic land nobles and recover large tracts of land, he also reorganized the financial and taxation institutions, causing the royal income to increase exponentially.

Under Ladislaus, Hungary can exert 20% of its strength, but under the wise and brave Matthias, this figure is about 90%.

"By the way, I heard before that your emperor adopted a tax reduction policy in his own territory and sold land and serfs at low prices? This is really unheard of."

"Your Majesty is kind and benevolent. The Balkans have been in chaos for many years, so it is natural that we should rest and recuperate."

There was a hint of disdain in Matthias's eyes.

"Perhaps, but in my opinion, you can't be too nice to the inferiors. The harsher you are, the more submissive they will be."

Sfrancis smiled noncommittally.

He was well aware that the financial reforms presided over by Matthias had indeed increased tax revenue to a great extent, refilling Hungary's depleted treasury with gold and silver and enabling the establishment of the Black Army.

But at what cost?

The price was that the lower-class people of the Kingdom of Hungary did not gain any benefits from the country's revival, but were forced to bear heavier burdens.

In order to pay the heavy taxes, the people had to drain more swamps, reclaim more wasteland, raise more livestock, and then bear even heavier taxes.

This is certainly beneficial to the country, the nation and the rulers, but the people at the bottom can only waste their lives in increasingly heavy labor until the day when the building collapses.

The cake is getting bigger and bigger, but people's lives are getting harder and harder. This is the portrayal of the life of the lower-class people in Hungary under Matthias's reforms.

Perhaps later historians and poets will sing praises of Matthias’s martial virtues, call this era the “Golden Age” of Hungary, and make a statue of him and place it in the most conspicuous place.

However, the people who toiled in the swamps at that time would not be able to proudly hold up their chests after hearing about the glory of Hungary.

After all, if the monarch has money, he will raise troops, and if he has troops, he will fight foreign wars. If he fights foreign wars, not only will they not get any benefits, but their burden will continue to increase.

"Your Majesty, have you considered our proposal?"

Sfrangis began to get to the point.

"You mean..."

Matthias narrowed his eyes.

"After the Ottomans withdrew, the Balkans fell into a power vacuum. Our two countries are the two most powerful forces in the Balkan Peninsula. We have fought side by side before and have also had an alliance."

Sfrangis told the story.

"Your Majesty means that we can hold a meeting to renew the alliance and divide our respective spheres of influence in the Balkans."

"It's a good suggestion, but it seems like you've crossed the line?"

Matthias glanced at the old man.

"Ragusa is the traditional Hungarian sphere of influence."

"We did do something wrong in this matter, but it happened for a reason, mainly to weaken the Venetians."

Sfrancis said quickly.

"In return, we are willing to recognize Dalmatia as Hungary's sphere of influence."

Matthias looked at him with a smile, cursing in his heart.

The Greeks were cunning, promising things that did not belong to them.

Seeing that Matthias didn't respond, Sfranchis smiled awkwardly.

"His Majesty said that if you want to attack Wallachia and Moldavia, he will not care. If you succeed, he will toast you."

"That's not bad."

Matthias nodded with satisfaction.

"I know he wants Serbia, and that's not impossible, but Belgrade must be in our hands, otherwise there's no point in talking."

"If you can agree to this condition, I will also formally negotiate with you and sign a covenant, and I will also give you a great gift."

"What kind of gift?"

"I will attack Dalmatia in the near future and will never participate in the meeting of the Italian states against Emperor Isaac. How do you think?"

Matthias smiled like a fox.

"make a deal!"

(End of this chapter)