1444, Byzantium Resurrects

Chapter 41: War of the Milanese Succession
On September 1447, 9, Skanderbeg led his army out of the Kruye Valley and, after a short rest in the city of Ishmi, raided the Venetian mercenary group stationed on the coast.

The two thousand mercenaries who had just landed in Venice had not yet joined the main force. In the hasty battle, they suffered heavy losses, and the remaining remnants fled towards the Drach Fortress.

Skanderbeg chased to the fortress of Drach and saw that the castle was strong. He left a small number of cavalry to monitor it and then led his troops away.

The village of Zerni on the banks of the Marti River.

Skanderbeg came here to camp after completing his first round of raids on the Venetian army.

The camp was heavily guarded, with sentry towers everywhere and cavalry on duty.

Some of the soldiers had scars, some were in mourning.

They had just experienced a war, and although they won, the price was also heavy.

The old soldiers didn't care. They drank the fine wine they had looted from the Venetians and shouted at the new recruits to wear the captured armor for them.

The new recruits gradually mature from their initial immaturity, and after experiencing a few more such wars, they will become as indifferent as the veterans.

Skanderbeg sat in the camp, staring at the casualty list in his hand in a daze.

Skanderbeg relied on his excellent military qualities and used superior forces to catch the enemy off guard, but the casualty ratio was not good.

The enemy has excellent war horses, muskets and iron armor.

Our army has nothing but passion and familiarity with the terrain.

Even if they could defeat the enemy in a field battle, without the corresponding artillery and siege equipment, there was no way to drive the Venetians out of the castle by the sea.

If we cannot win a quick victory within a short period of time, will the Ottomans on the eastern border take advantage of the situation and invade?

"Commander-in-chief! Baron Maruna requests a meeting!"

"Let him in."

The tent opened and Maruna walked in.

"Your Excellency, I am glad to know that you have won another victory."

"Thanks for your intelligence."

Maruna smiled indifferently.

"This is our sincerity. Are you willing to continue the negotiations?"

"Tell me, what do you want from me?"

Maruna flipped open the map, found the Albanian Alliance, and pointed to a city in the southwest corner.

Skanderbeg took a closer look.

The city of Aulon.

"We want suzerainty over this city and the surrounding areas."

Maruna drew a circle around the city of Ohlone and the nearby peninsula.

"This is impossible."

Skanderbeg said bluntly.

Albania was an alliance formed by Skanderbeg, the lords of various cities, and princes, with the aim of safeguarding Albania's independence.

If Skanderbeg ceded a port city to others so easily, his own righteous reputation would be lost. Even if he could temporarily suppress the voices of opposition with his prestige, his position would inevitably be challenged.

"What's the difference between you and the Venetians?"

"The difference is that the Venetians are strong, and after they get one city, they will want another one."

"We don't have that strength. We just need a port on the Adriatic Sea to connect the trade routes from Italy to the Balkans."

Skanderbeg sneered and said nothing.

Maruna shook his head regretfully.

"Then our deal is concluded."

Then, as if he remembered something, he slapped his forehead.

"Oh, yes,"

Maruna handed a letter to Skanderbeg with a smile in his eyes.

"This is intelligence I got through my old contacts in northern Italy, and I thought you should take a look at it."

Skanderbeg took the letter and his expression immediately turned much uglier.

This is a long and eloquent article, but the core theme is:
The Venetian Doge Foscari was very dissatisfied with the previous defeat and had sent people to contact the Ottomans, inviting them to march together and divide Albania equally.

Skanderbeg knew that this was probably true; the Venetians were capable of anything.

Moreover, even if the Venetians did not invite them, the brutal Ottomans would rush into the battlefield at the critical moment of the war and reap the benefits.

"My army and people will defend their homeland, you don't have to worry about it!"

"Well, I'm sorry. I heard that the Doge of Venice is recruiting mercenaries and can even use land as compensation. Maybe I should try my luck there."

boom--

Skanderbeg slammed his fist on the table, knocking over several cups.

He stared at Maruna angrily, and the flames in his eyes seemed to devour Maruna.

Maruna nonchalantly straightened the glass and poured a glass of wine for himself and Skanderbeg.

"Take it easy, my dear sir,"

Maruna took a sip of his wine and smacked his lips.

"The safety of the entire alliance depends on you. If you are gone, this fragile alliance will be nothing but meat in the Ottoman bowl."

After a while, Skanderbeg regained his serious demeanor and transformed himself from an angry middle-aged man into a cunning politician again.

"not enough."

"What do you think is enough?"

"Help me take back Durres, and Aulon will be yours."

Durres, the largest seaport city and ruling center of the Venetian Republic in Albania.

Maruna shook his head.

"I'm not here to help you dream."

"I can promise to help you recapture the city of Daniya and assist you in resisting the Ottoman invasion."

"That's our bottom line."

Maruna put on his hat, picked up his sword, and prepared to leave.

"stop."

"I don't have much control over the southern cities. You have to convince the mayor of Aulon yourself."

Behind him, Skanderbeg raised his head and spoke slowly.

"I'm curious, why do you have such confidence?"

"I myself am not sure that I can resist the attacks of the Ottomans and Venice and recapture the city of Dania at the same time."

Damn it, you know that even Tanya is hard to recapture, but you still have to mention Durres, right?

Maruna did not answer and walked out of the tent.

He looked at the gloomy sky in the northwest corner.

Why are you sure?
Italy is going to be in chaos.

……

“Italy is going to be in chaos.”

In the Castle of Palaeolo in the Marquisate of Monferrato, Marquis John IV muttered to himself.

In August 1447, Filippo Maria Visconti, Duke of Milan, passed away without leaving any legitimate offspring, and the Visconti family's rule over Milan ended.

The only illegitimate daughter married the mercenary leader Sforza, who used this opportunity to claim the Duchy of Milan.

Milan's domestic forces did not recognize Sforza's claim and established the Ambrosian Republic. Sforza joined forces with Milan's old enemy Venice to launch a war against the new Ambrosian Republic and invited the princes of Italy to join the battle to safeguard his legitimate inheritance rights.

John IV looked at the letter in his hand.

There are currently four major powers in Italy.

His Holiness the Pope, the Venetian Republic, the Duchy of Milan and the emerging Duchy of Savoy.

The Kingdom of Naples in the south is still in the hands of Aragon and is not included for the time being.

The four powers each have their own advantages. As for the Duchy of Milan, it is purely because of its fertile land.

The Po Plain is extremely suitable for farming, and its abundant water resources and suitable climatic conditions make it the granary of Italy.

With large grain production, there will be a large population, and with complete infrastructure, business will be more prosperous.

If they can bite off a piece of meat from Milan, can Monferrato's predicament be alleviated?

John remembered Isaac's words before he left.

It's done!

He made up his mind.

Surrounded by powerful enemies, you are either a hunter or a prey. The increasingly declining Pizza is the best example.

"Your Highness, John,"

John looked back and saw it was his butler.

"Duke Isaac is back."

"Follow me to greet you!"

On September 1447, 9, Isaac ended his overseas journey to the west and returned to Monferrato.

As soon as he arrived at the port of Genoa, Isaac could clearly feel the shadow of war hovering over the entire northern Italy.

In various taverns, mercenaries laughed rudely and discussed loudly about the war in Milan.

In the market, armor and weapons have seen varying degrees of price increases. The blacksmiths in the blacksmith district are working at full capacity to produce the killing weapons that the mercenaries need.

After talking with John, Isaac immediately realized the seriousness of the problem.

At present, he is facing two wars at the same time.

This is a severe challenge for himself and the Grand Duchy of Soult.

However, if these two wars can achieve the expected results, one's own power will be greatly enhanced.

A port on the Adriatic coast, separated by mountains and rivers, with a large population, it is easy to defend but difficult to attack.

An ally with a certain say in northern Italy can provide a stable source of food and can be used for assistance when necessary.

"The Marquisate of Monferrato has just gained independence, and the country's potential for war is not great."

"With the tax revenue from our territory and the dividends from the trade company, we can barely raise an army of 6000 people, 4000 of whom are conscripted peasants."

"My knights can form an elite knight group of about 100 people, and their servants can form a cavalry team of 300 people."

"Adding the small number of troops from the vassal states, the total number of troops in the country will not exceed 8000."

"Of these 8000 men, we have to stay behind to guard the various checkpoints and castles to guard against a surprise attack from Savoy."

"In fact, the troops that can actually be deployed to the battlefield are far from enough to support us in a protracted war."

John carefully calculated his own strength, and became less and less confident the more he spoke.

"so we……"

"So we can't set the goal of seizing the Duke of Milan from the beginning."

Isaac interrupted him.

"Our primary goal this time is to retake the Monferrato territory previously occupied by Milan."

"Avoid all large cities. Border cities and small castles can all become our targets."

"After occupying it, digest it as quickly as possible, and make other plans after strengthening your strength."

"As for the dukedom and the great cities, let Venice and Sforza fight for them."

In the afternoon, John invited Isaac to review the Knights of Monferrato and the New Army.

The knights were well-trained and their equipment was a little shabby, but they were loyal to the House of Palaiologos.

The vassals also responded to John's call and sent their knights and levies to the court at Monferrato.

At this time, John's usual grace was of great use.

If he were an incompetent lord, his vassals and knights would not pay any attention to him at all.

It is the duty of the vassal to defend the territory, but it is not the responsibility of the vassal to participate in the lord's military adventures.

For a moment, a dazzling array of clan emblems and flags of various colors gathered together.

Next, John showed Isaac the new army he had trained.

This was a new type of infantry composed of strong farmers and landless knights recruited by John a few years ago at the suggestion of Isaac. They were dressed in armor, armed with long-handled weapons, and some were equipped with muskets.

There are 500 people in total, specifically designed to deal with the cavalry that the surrounding forces love to play with.

John named them "Grand Marquis' Guard" to commemorate the ancestor who once brought glory to Monferrato.

For several days in a row, the vassals gathered together, hunting during the day and feasting at night.

This is a common occurrence. When everyone gets together with great difficulty, they naturally want to enhance their relationship.

They were all shareholders of the Monferrato Trading Company and had made a lot of money in recent years, so they were very kind to Isaac and did not exclude him as an "outsider."

On September 1447, 9, John IV, Marquis of Monferrato, issued a statement demanding that the Ambrosian Republic return the territory of Monferrato that was occupied during the Visconti period, but was rejected.

On September 9, John IV led the Monferrato army across the Po River and arrived in the Lomellina area.

On September 9, John IV occupied two small towns on the border, defeated the local garrisons, and marched straight to Pavia.

Milanese reinforcements arrived in time and confronted Monferrato's army.

On September 9, John IV successfully persuaded two Milanese mercenary captains to defect and defeated the enemy at the gates of Pavia, forcing the enemy to retreat within the walls and not dare to leave the city.

Later, at Isaac's suggestion, John IV retreated to the Lomellina area, built a castle on a key road and set up checkpoints.

At the same time, cavalry were sent out to sweep the surrounding areas, rob merchant caravans, forcibly conscript laborers, and loot food.

On the same day, Isaac saw that John IV had gained a firm foothold and immediately sent a letter to the port of Sirte.

"For Albania, appoint Baron Maruna of Cherle as the commander-in-chief, responsible for all military affairs and negotiations. Spymaster Lord Albert and Foreign Minister Anderson are responsible for sending people to assist in the negotiations."

"The Albanian war is mainly about speed. The Venetians' attention is now mostly drawn to the Milanese Succession War. It is a good time to counterattack."

"Inform Baron Maruna that artillery can be purchased from Hungary to capture coastal fortresses."

"Always be alert to the Ottomans' movements and try to force Venice to make peace as soon as possible, so as to stop Murad II with all our strength."

Isaac dipped the ink and continued writing on the letter paper.

"In Milan, Marquis John has already dealt with the Genoese, and they have agreed to allow our army to pass through their territory."

"Order the First Guards Corps to quickly cross the sea and assist in the battle."

"Order Erdosh to lead a part of the Slatos Legion across the sea to receive orders."

"Order the subordinate tribes and the Dobruja to provide servant infantry and come to do my bidding."

"Order the Second Guards Army to go to North Africa to take over the defense of the First Army."

Isaac thought about it and continued writing.

"Require the first batch of students from the Royal Knights Academy to go to Milan under the leadership of Instructor Di Lin to observe actual combat."

bang——

Isaac stamped the seal with the purple double-headed eagle.

(End of this chapter)