1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 335 Northern Iron Curtain
Time passed, and late autumn of 1473 arrived. The weather turned cooler and it began to rain along the Mediterranean coast.

After the Eastern Roman Empire declared war on the Kingdom of Granada, the emerging Mediterranean overlord's ambitions for Iberia became clear. Castile was in chaos due to the absence of the queen and the serious illness of the king. Nobles from all over the country were busy fighting for power and either threw themselves into the arms of the Kingdom of Aragon or flirted with the Eastern Roman Empire.

The alliance between the Kingdom of Aragon and the Kingdom of France added fuel to the fire. Prince Ferdinand of Aragon seemed determined to win the crown of Castile, and King Louis of France also showed his full support. He not only forced Provence to join the alliance, but also promulgated the "Privateer Act" in the country, built a large number of warships in the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts, and encouraged domestic sailors to plunder Eastern Roman merchant ships.

Because the Eastern Roman Empire's ocean routes were too rich, pirate attacks were inevitable, and not only the French, but even the down-and-out sailors from England and the Netherlands were ready to join the carnival.

Then, the situation continued to escalate. As the old enemy of the Eastern Roman Empire, the Republic of Venice, which was located in a corner of Adriatic Sea, quickly joined the Barcelona Alliance and assembled warships in the port of Venice, trying to tie down part of the Eastern Roman Empire's navy.

The Venetians' commercial interests did not come entirely from the eastern Mediterranean. Mainland Italy was still a fertile and prosperous land with a prosperous trade. Venice's arsenal and lumberyards were basically intact, and it could still field a formidable fleet.

Then, the Medici family of Florence began to prohibit Eastern Roman goods from entering the market and Eastern Roman merchant ships from entering the port. Although they did not directly join the alliance, they allowed French and Aragonese ships to dock at the port and were willing to provide them with mercenary fleets when necessary.

The Republic of Florence was one of the most important handicraft city-states on the Italian peninsula. The rise of Eastern Roman handicrafts and the establishment of Mediterranean hegemony made them feel a deep crisis. Domestic handicraftsmen united to demand the establishment of trade barriers against Eastern Roman goods. Lorenzo of the Medici family also reasserted sovereignty over Athens and Achaia.

The Duchy of Burgundy had little interest in the disputes in Iberia. The brave and arrogant Charles the Bold neither accepted the Eastern Roman Empire's invitation to an alliance nor made any comments on Louis XI's actions. In the previous meeting, he failed to obtain the title of King of Burgundy due to the escape of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick III. Frustrated, he was instigated by Louis XI and fell out with the Duchy of Lorraine again. He focused on attacking the Lorraine Corridor and rushed towards the city of Nancy.

Edward IV of England was a spectator in the upcoming drama. The aftermath of the War of the Roses had not yet subsided, and Edward IV needed a lot of time to reorganize domestic affairs, but at this time he still maintained good relations with the Burgundians and would occasionally mention the claim of the Kingdom of France.

Of course, England at that time was just a small country in a corner. After experiencing the complete defeat in the Hundred Years' War and the long-term internal consumption in the War of the Roses, their strength was extremely limited. The manpower that Edward IV could quickly mobilize was only one twentieth of that of Louis XI, and could not cause much trouble.

The Hungarian King Matthias I saw an opportunity in this dispute. He signed an armistice agreement with the Jagiellon family and began to move his army eastward, trying to conquer Wallachia and Moldavia while the Eastern Roman Empire was looking west, and strengthen his own strength.

The attitude of the Vatican was very intriguing. Although they owed the Palaiologos family a lot of money and had reached an agreement with the emperor in advance, for the sake of their own reputation, the Rovere family could not openly help the Orthodox Empire suppress the Catholic Kingdom. All exchanges of interests had to wait until after the war.

The heavy pressure from Western Europe disrupted the war deployment of the Eastern Roman Empire. The Black Sea Fleet had to move north from Carthage to Ragusa to guard against Venetian ships and protect the homeland from invasion. The Western Mediterranean Fleet began to patrol repeatedly between the British Fortress and Carthage to protect merchant ships. The Eastern Mediterranean Fleet remained in the Carthage naval port, controlling key waterways.

Thirty thousand troops are arriving in Birinci through the eastern Mediterranean and then heading to Carthage. They will undergo a period of adaptive training near the Atlas Mountains in order to better adapt to the equally mountainous and arid Iberian Peninsula.

In the southernmost part of Iberia, several legions that arrived at the British Fortress in advance had already engaged in a battle with the Granada people, but their progress in the early stages was limited. As it was surrounded by mountains and had many fortresses, it was impossible to win a quick victory.

In Constantinople on the Black Sea, major newspapers carried out war propaganda for the dispute, requiring everyone to do their part, continue production, provide logistics for the war, and supply goods to the market. The emperor would defend the Atlantic and Mediterranean trade routes and bury in the grave any enemy who dared to block the rise of the Eastern Roman Empire.

The large amount of precious metals shipped from overseas required an outlet, and a war was the best opportunity. The emperor's money would flow into the market and into all aspects of Eastern Roman society through the army and fleet.

In the Grand Palace of Constantinople, Isabella and her two sons were waiting quietly at the dining table. The food on the table was very simple, just some ordinary dishes. With war imminent, the royal family set an example by practicing economy as a routine.

The two children were already starving, but they still waited dissatisfiedly under their mother's stern gaze.

Footsteps were heard, the door opened, and a man in a black windbreaker walked in, his eyes full of fatigue.

"Father!"

Constantine suddenly shouted in surprise, jumped off his seat excitedly and rushed towards Justinian.

Justinian also smiled, put down his windbreaker, lifted up his lively eldest son, and came to his wife.

"I am back."

"I know."

Isabella said softly.

“But we have to go again.”

Justinian sighed.

"At least have a meal before you leave."

Isabella did not stop.

"The kids miss you."

Justinian nodded, put Constantine down, patted Carlos' head, and sat next to Isabella.

The family started to eat. The wind was howling outside, but the house was warm as spring and very cozy.

"Where's mother?"

Justinian asked as he wolfed down his food.

"He's taken Anastasius to the north to run the lumberyard business."

Isabella picked up a piece of bread and nibbled it gently.

"How about you? Is everything going well?"

"Oh, it's hard to say."

Justinian shook his head.

"I didn't fight a decisive battle with them. I mainly harassed and plundered them. I did occupy a lot of grasslands, but the Tatars were still strong. Many Tatar tribes fled to all directions. Some went west to join the Lithuanians, and some went east to join Jochi Ulus and Astrakhan."

"Some scattered small tribes surrendered to me, and I broke them up and handed them over to the Cossack tribes one by one."

"Bakhchisarai has not been taken yet. Charlotte and Alexander are besieging them."

Justinian took a sip of his white wine.

"Perhaps my approach is wrong. When dealing with these nomadic tribes, we should not aim to occupy their land, but should try to eliminate their manpower as much as possible."

"Now, the Cossack Kingdom still has to deal with Tatar attacks every year. I don't know when it will be able to stabilize."

"It's okay. You have enough to know yourself and make up for your shortcomings."

Isabella poured Justinian a glass of wine.

"Besides, from the perspective of interests, it might be a good thing to let the Cossacks indulge in a long border conflict. It would be bad to let them settle down."

"As long as the Lithuanians and Muscovites continue to exploit the serfs, there will be more and more Cossacks. You must find something for them to do, train them in martial arts, and reduce the population."

"I feel much more relaxed when you put it that way."

Justinian grinned.

"However, I don't want them to live a hard life forever. As long as they are willing to be loyal to me, I am willing to let them live a better life, no matter what this good life is based on."

"By the way, I haven't been back in recent days, and I have handed over all the government affairs that belong to me to you. How do you feel?"

Justinian looked at Isabella.

"It's very complicated and difficult, but I think I'm suited to doing these things and I like doing them."

Isabella smiled.

"The foundation left by your father is simply too good. The orders issued from Constantinople can reach every corner of the empire directly, without having to worry about struggles in the central government or obstructions from the local areas."

"Okay, since you're willing to do these things, I'll leave it to you from now on."

Justinian nodded.

"Before we leave, we must leave Constantine an extremely powerful empire."

"Of course, our son is also blessed by God and should become the overlord of the entire world."

Isabella stroked Constantine's hair.

"So, he has to learn from a young age and can't slack off for even a moment!"

Constantine, who was so excited just now, immediately fell in dismay and looked unwilling.

"What are you going to do about Carlos?"

Isabella asked inquiringly.

"What else can we do? Go and teach Louis XI and Fernando a lesson and make them put themselves in their proper place."

Justinian snorted.

"The war in Crimea is basically over. I will take some Circassian soldiers to Iberia. They are used to mountain warfare and may be able to exert a considerable advantage."

"And Venice..."

Justinian frowned.

"After so many years of not dealing with them, the Venetians have become bolder. If the war goes well, we may be able to deal with them in one fell swoop."

"Although their ships are no match for ours, they still have some advantages in the narrow inland sea. If they hold on, it will always be a problem."

Justinian thought.

"In any case, our national strength is strong. The worst that can happen is that we fight a protracted war and wear them down."

"Well, when are you planning on leaving?"

Isabella asked.

"We'll leave after we finish eating and head south with the new batch of ships from the Constantinople Shipyard."

Justinian finished eating the roast meat and wiped his mouth.

"You should stay here, handle internal affairs, and educate your son."

"I will. When you take Granada and prepare to enter Castile, I will bring Carlos with me."

Isabella said.

"Castile is my homeland, and I am still the daughter of the previous king. Our son needs the support of the local nobles, and I will go and convince them."

"Okay, we'll get there as soon as possible."

Justinian stood up, kissed his wife goodbye, said goodbye to his son, and prepared to leave.

"By the way, where's Gonzalo?"

Reaching the door, Justinian turned around.

"Him? The 2nd Guards Dragoon Regiment he was in was responsible for guarding Anatolia and did not participate in the Iberian War."

"He's on vacation, maybe at the St. Nicholas Mall."

Isabella waved her hands helplessly.

"Do you want him to accompany the army?"

"Yes, I have to find him. Without Gonzalo, I don't know how to fight."

Justinian curled his lips.

As they were talking, a palace guard ran in and saluted them.

"Your Majesty, the Foreign Secretary's report."

The palace guard handed Justinian a letter.

Justinian opened it and snorted.

"what happened?"

Isabella asked with concern.

"I have to hurry up and go find Gonzalo now."

Justinian put on his windbreaker and walked out.

"The French have made their move."...

Northern western Mediterranean, southeastern Corsica, Porto-Vecchio.

Looking at the map, the area of ​​Corsica is not too small, but because the central part of the island is mostly mountainous and hilly, the usable land area is not too large. The main population centers and important ports are mostly located along the coast, especially Ajaccio in the southwest of the island and Batista in the north. Although they cannot be called prosperous, they are also an important part of the Apennine trade.

For a long time, Corsica was a colony of the Republic of Genoa, where the Genoese exercised colonial rule. Many large Genoese families owned private shipyards and private estates on Corsica. Corsicans mainly spoke Italian and believed in Roman Catholicism, and could basically be regarded as Italians.

More than a decade ago, King Charles VII of France invaded Genoa on a large scale. Some Genoese nobles who were unwilling to submit to French rule went south to Corsica and organized a resistance army. They were very dissatisfied with the weakness of the Genoese Parliament.

Of course, except for a few people, most Corsican nobles did not have a strong will to rebel. All they wanted was to raise the value of Corsica's united front and gain more benefits in future negotiations.

After the signing of the Treaty of La Spezia, Corsica still belonged to the Republic of Genoa. The Genoese Parliament granted the Corsican nobles a high degree of autonomy in exchange for a moment of peace. The Doria family began to hold the position of Governor of Corsica.

Not long ago, Duke Galeazzo of Milan invaded the Republic of Genoa in a high-profile manner and soon forced the weak Genoese Parliament to surrender to him. King Louis XI of France acquiesced in their actions and used his diplomatic skills to stir up trouble, trying to lure the Milanese to the south to attack La Spezia and Parma and cut off the tentacles of the Eastern Roman Empire reaching out to Italy.

After the signing of the Treaty of Barcelona, ​​Louis XI immediately signed the Treaty of Genoa, dividing half of the Ligurian coast with the Duchy of Milan. San Remo and Albenga in the west went to the Kingdom of France, and Savona and Genoa in the east went to the Duchy of Milan.

Since the essence of the Republic of Genoa is in the city of Genoa, the Duchy of Milan gained more benefits in this partition. In return, they will hand over the newly built fleet of the Republic of Genoa in the past decade to the French intact, and launch an attack on La Spezia and Parma.

As for Corsica, Louis XI did not intend to let them continue to survive, and used coercion and inducement to buy the island at a low price from the remaining Genoese Parliament, hoping to turn it into a pirate base to plunder Mediterranean commerce.

Louis XI's series of operations were very successful. He successfully formed an "anti-Eastern Roman alliance" in northwestern Italy. La Spezia and Parma were isolated overseas. To the north was the covetous Duchy of Milan, to the south was the equally dissatisfied Florence, and to the west was the powerful Kingdom of France. The densely packed islands around were all the territories of Aragon and Florence. For a time, they were surrounded, and Mediterranean merchant ships departing from Carthage could no longer successfully reach the port of La Spezia.

The Kingdom of France acted very quickly in Corsica. With the help of pro-French factions and the endorsement of the Genoese Parliament, the northern port of Batista directly pledged allegiance to the King of France. Louis XI's 1,500 soldiers successfully landed, and the west coast quickly fell. Ajaccio only held out for three days. The remaining resistance factions hid in the more desolate and remote southeast coast, continuing to survive.

Porto-Vecchio is just a small port with a population of less than two thousand and no complete city walls. The soldiers who fled here wandered dejectedly in the barracks. Except for some diehards, many of them have begun to plot defection.

In the mayor's palace of Porto-Vecchio, the Governor of Corsica, Domenini Doria, was lying on his sickbed, his chest heaving, his face pale, his lips chapped, and his forehead covered with fine beads of sweat.

Domenini was a staunch Genoese independence supporter who hated the powerful aggression of France and Milan and the weakness of his own nobles. However, he had no other choice. Corsica had a sparse population and scarce resources, so his ideal was doomed to fail.

In this storm raised by the French, Genoa became a fish on the chopping board. Domenini and his servants fought to the death, but got nothing in return. The pro-French faction on the island helped the French open the door of Ajaccio. He could only hide with the remaining troops, and defeat was imminent.

"Go...go and call DiMarco over. I know he's here!"

Domeneny spoke to the maid in a hurried and weak voice.

The maid nodded quickly and ran out.

After a while, a middle-aged nobleman walked in. He looked at Domenini on the bed, took off his hat and sighed.

"Long time no see, Domenenyi."

Dimarco Gattilusio said.

"Long time no see, Mr. Mayor. I didn't expect you were also evacuating."

Domenini forced himself to sit up despite his weak body.

"Is La Spezia going to fall too?"

"La Spezia is just a free trade port. It doesn't have any special industries. Its walls are not strong enough to stop the Milanese."

DiMarco said.

"Your Majesty has given us permission to evacuate La Spezia, to surrender La Spezia to Milan, and even to allow the Duke of Parma to do as he pleases, to resist or to surrender, it is his own decision."

DiMarco paused.

"I brought the fleet from La Spezia and stopped it on the coast not far away. I'll hide here for a while and come to see you."

"We'll be heading south to Carthage after dark, and I can take you with me if you want."

"Leaving in such a hurry?"

Domeneni's eyes dimmed.

"I thought Constantinople would intervene."

"There is nothing we can do. There are hostile forces everywhere. The French also obtained the port rights of some islands in the Tuscan Archipelago from Florence. In recent years, there have been more and more pirates in Tuscany, especially Elba Island, which has almost become a pirate den."

"King Louis acted too quickly. He must have planned this long ago. The emperor didn't even take action against Castile."

DiMarco spread his hands.

"The Emperor's fleet will not go north for the time being. As for where it will be used, I don't know."

"Can't you raid the French coast as you did before?"

Domeneny asked.

"Your overall naval strength is definitely greater than that of France and Aragon."

"What are they attacking? Since the last attack, the French have moved the coastal villages inland, leaving a large stretch of coast uninhabited. They have also erected artillery batteries in important ports, making them difficult to attack."

DiMarco said.

"The Emperor can't save La Spezia or Corsica. It's too close to France and Aragon. Their ships can raid at any time. When the Emperor's fleet arrives, they can hide in the naval port again."

"The most troublesome thing is the pirates. Their whereabouts are elusive. The western Mediterranean islands provide them with a good shelter. It is difficult for the emperor's ships to catch them."

DiMarco shook his head.

"More than a decade ago, the French and Italians were rich, and our pirates attacked them, making them very uncomfortable. But today, the situation has reversed, and we have become the rich ones."

"Then there is really no solution at all?"

Domeneny asked bitterly.

"Back then, you didn't want to accept the emperor's protection and forbade us to station troops in Hong Kong. You insisted on following Genoa and threatened us with bringing in the French. Now, are you suffering the consequences?"

DiMarco glanced at him.

"Genoa is my motherland. I love every blade of grass and every tree in Genoa, but it has become desolate and must maneuver between the major powers to maintain its independence."

Domeneny spoke slowly.

"What I really didn't expect was that the traitors in the parliament were so cowardly that their spines were broken."

Seeing that Domenini looked somewhat sad, Dimarco stopped provoking the dying patriot.

"Of course there is a way. That is to use the absolutely superior marine force to sweep the entire western Mediterranean, including Aragon, France and the overseas islands of Florence."

"The French have formed an iron curtain in the northern western Mediterranean, and we will tear them apart with our absolute naval supremacy."

DiMarco said firmly.

"The problem is that the emperor's route is too long and he has too many enemies. He must make choices and focus on certain areas. It's not up to me to decide where to start."

"Why don't you just come with me? We won't be away for long, and the French won't have the last laugh. We will be back."

Domeneny smiled bitterly and shook his head.

"I'm dying, there's no need."

"Well, it's getting dark, I'll leave right away."

DiMarco crossed himself.

"If you need anything else, just let me know."

Domenini thought for a moment and looked at Dimarco.

"Our family is a large one with many branches. Some of them compromised with the French, while others fought with me for Genoa. Many children became orphans."

"I am dying. I have failed to fulfill my duty as a clan leader and cannot provide them with shelter. If possible, you should take the children of the Doria family with you to the south to protect them from being liquidated by the French."

"Well, they will get a good education, both boys and girls, at my own expense."

DiMarco agreed.

"My grandmother's name was also Doria, so my commitment is in her name."

"Good, good, good!"

Domenene laughed, then broke into a violent coughing fit.

"You can get out now. I don't have any children. The orphans in the family are my children. I want to say my final goodbyes and give them some warnings."

DiMarco nodded, left the room and stood in the hallway.

A group of children rushed in, and their cries reached DiMarco's ears.

Shaking his head and sighing, DiMarco took out a cigarette, lit it on the candle, and took a deep breath.

"Will you take us away?"

A voice came over, Dimarco turned his head, and saw a young man looking at him quietly, his eyes were red and swollen, but no tears were shed.

"Yes, take you to a safe place."

DiMarco nodded.

"Where are your parents?"

DiMarco asked casually.

"Dead, all dead."

The boy replied.

"But they were not great warriors and tried to escape by ship, only to run into Florentine pirates."

"Ah, sorry."

DiMarco was a little embarrassed and tentatively handed him the cigarette.

The boy did not refuse. He took the cigarette, took a deep puff, then started coughing loudly. His eyes were filled with tears, but he still kept his eyes open stubbornly to prevent the tears from flowing down.

"Boy, these are the strongest Sailor brands."

DiMarco looked at him approvingly.

"What is your name?"

"Just a nobody."

The boy continued to smoke, stinging his body with the smoke, and his hands shook uncontrollably.

"But I am brave and eager to learn, and one day the whole Mediterranean will remember my name."

"My name is Andrea."

"Andrea Doria!"

……

In the late autumn of 1473, a cold wind swept across the western Mediterranean. No one expected that Louis XI's move would be so swift. The anti-Eastern Roman forces led by the Kingdom of France expanded rapidly, and swept out the Eastern Roman Empire's forces on the Ligurian coast in a swift manner. They used many islands such as the Balearics, Sardinia, Corsica, Tuscany and Sicily to form a "Northern Iron Curtain", trying to use these islands as bases to attack Eastern Roman Mediterranean merchant ships, slow down the empire's pace, and keep it firmly outside Western Europe.

(End of this chapter)